Description
Turn your dinner into a flavor-packed experience with creamy jalapeño garlic chicken bites and twisted cheddar Cajun pasta. Juicy chicken is seared until golden, then simmered in a rich jalapeño garlic cream sauce. Paired with cheesy Cajun-spiced twisted pasta, this dish is the ultimate comfort food. Quick enough for a weeknight dinner yet bold enough to impress. Perfect if you are searching for easy dinner ideas, pasta night favorites, comfort food, or flavorful family meals.
Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning divided
2 tablespoons butter divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
2 jalapeños diced
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
12 ounces rotini pasta (or fusilli or cavatappi)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add remaining butter, garlic, and jalapeños. Sauté until fragrant.
4. Pour in heavy cream, stirring to form a creamy base. Simmer gently to thicken slightly.
5. Return chicken to the skillet, coat in sauce, and cook until fully done and tender.
6. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
7. In a saucepan, whisk a splash of cream with cheddar and the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning until smooth.
8. Toss pasta with the cheddar Cajun sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed for a silky coating.
9. Plate pasta, top with jalapeño garlic chicken bites, and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Use reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if it thickens on standing.
For extra heat, keep some jalapeño seeds or add a pinch of cayenne.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 32
- Saturated Fat: 17
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 46
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 39
- Cholesterol: 125
Keywords: easy dinner, pasta recipes, cajun chicken pasta, creamy pasta, comfort food, weeknight dinner