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This 30 minute Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta recipe is made with a simple creamy sauce, loads of protein, and plenty of Cajun flavors. Easy clean up and perfect for a weeknight!
30 Minute Protein Packed Pasta Situation
Ever since we discovered Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, we’ve been on a serious creole/cajun kick over here and this pasta might just be why.
It transforms simple ingredients into something amazing with big, bold flavors and not a lot of fuss.
This is a riff on our Cajun Shrimp Pasta, which is a definite favorite around here!
We just mixed things up by adding chicken and andouille sausage to the pasta – both fabulous additions to a weeknight pasta recipe like this.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Restaurant-quality – Perfectly cooked pasta, a creamy dreamy sauce, and seared chicken & sausage make this taste like it came straight from a restaurant.
Ready in 30 minutes – While the pasta cooks, you’re making the sauce, so everything comes together fast.
Perfect spice balance – The creamy sauce tones down the Cajun heat just enough so everyone can enjoy it.
Ingredient Notes:
Pasta – We’re using penne for this recipe, but any small shape of pasta will work just fine.
Chicken – We use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thighs also work well.
Sausage – Andouille sausage will add the most flavor, as it’s more heavily seasoned, but smoked sausage is also a good choice if you want less heat.
Cajun Seasoning – You can use your favorite Cajun seasoning here. We love Tony Chachere’s.
Bell Pepper – We like the sweetness of a red bell pepper, but use what you love.
Cream Sauce – You’ll mix together heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to create a creamy sauce for this Cajun chicken sausage pasta.
Step by Step:
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add your pasta, and cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Chop, season, and cook the chicken in a bit of oil and butter. Set aside.
Chop the sausage and veggies and add them to the skillet to cook until browned. Set aside with the chicken.
Add the heavy cream to the skillet and then stir in the Parmesan to make the cream sauce. Stir in the cooked pasta, chicken, sausage, and veggies.
Helpful Tip!
Sauce too thick?
If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add in the reserved pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until it reaches the consistency you prefer.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in the microwave, stirring halfway through. Add a splash of cream or reserved pasta water when reheating to restore creaminess.
This doesn’t freeze.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to use heavy cream, so that your sauce is thick, creamy, and comes together properly. Milk or half and half won’t work quite the same.
- If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, stir in a bit of the reserved pasta water. It’s full of starch from the pasta and will keep the sauce creamy and smooth while thinning it out.
- Make sure to use shredded Parmesan cheese – not the powdery stuff in the green can. Freshly shredded is great, but a bag of shredded Parmesan works too!
- Add some onion in with the bell pepper, if your family likes onion. We left them out to accommodate picky eaters.
- Tone the spice level down by using smoked sausage in place of andouille sausage.
More Cajun Recipes
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Ranch Soup
- Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun Remoulade
- Slow Cooker Cajun Sausage & Bean Soup
- Creamy Cajun Chicken
- Slow Cooker Cajun Ham & Bean Soup
Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning divided
- 8 ounces andouille sausage
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Heat a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and butter and cook until butter has melted.
- Season the chicken with half of the Cajun seasoning.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Slice the sausage into coins and add the sausage to the skillet along with the peppers. Sprinkle the remaining Cajun seasoning over the top and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sausage has browned and the peppers have softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Remove from the pan and set aside with the chicken.
- Add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
- Return the chicken, sausage, and pepper to the pan along with the cooked pasta. Stir well to coat.
- To thin the sauce, add reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Travis Nebel says
Great recipe, my dinner guests loved it
Christine says
Made this tonight for dinner and it was a huge hit. The whole family loved it, and it’s going on our family favorites list
Karly says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review! 🙂
Leslie says
I tweaked this a bit but was still fantastic. My family ate it all! I did add veggies and I used a Cajun spice mix. I also added a cream of chicken soup to it.
Jan says
I like the recipe but don’t like Tony’s too salty
Karly says
You can use any Cajun blend you like.
Leslie says
I tweaked this a bit but was still fantastic. My family ate it all! I did add veggies and I used a Cajun spice mix. I also added a cream of chicken soup to it.
Karly says
Sounds tasty! Thanks for sharing!