Easy One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta With Smoked Sausage Delight

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Smoked Sausage is a quick, flavorful meal combining Cajun spices, creamy sauce, chicken, and sausage.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with Smoked Sausage

In just 30 minutes, you can serve up a meal that’s bursting with the bold flavors of Cajun seasoning, the creaminess of heavy cream and Parmesan, and the hearty addition of chicken and smoked sausage. This dish is a stunning display of how simple ingredients can create a symphony of taste and texture, ideal for those evenings when time is short but the craving for something special is big.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoon butter, (unsalted and divided)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 6 oz. smoked sausage, (sliced into ¼ inch pieces)
• 8 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, (sliced)
• Cajun seasoning, to taste
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• Salt and pepper, (to taste, optional)

Creamy Parmesan Sauce:

• 4 cloves garlic, (minced)
• 1 cup chicken broth, (sodium free)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, (freshly grated for best results)
• sea salt, (to taste)

Pasta:

• 8 oz. penne pasta

Instructions

Pasta:

• Boil pasta in salty water according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Chicken, sausage, and mushrooms:
• Generously season chicken with salt, pepper, Cajun, and Italian seasonings. Do not slice it yet – you will be cooking it whole. Slice sausage into ¼ inch circles and slice mushrooms.
• In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of butter and melt it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add whole chicken breasts and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side until browned for a total of 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken onto a plate and slice into strips.
• Add sliced sausage pieces and brown them on medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until darker in color around the edges. Remove from the skillet onto a plate.
• Deglaze the pan with a splash of water and add 2nd tablespoon of butter and sliced mushrooms into the skillet (add more butter as well, if needed). Saute until your mushrooms look nice and moist, and dark. Once cooked, remove them from the pan as well.

Sauce

To make the sauce, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, allow it to melt and then cook garlic in it until slightly browned – only for a couple of minutes. Next add chicken broth,

• Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream, and bring to a light simmer. Add Cajun seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder and mix into the sauce.
• Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend for 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
• Add cooked pasta into the sauce and mix in well. Next add the chicken, sausage and mushrooms back into the pan and allow them to reheat for 2-3 minutes. Close the lid to help the heat stay in. Serve immediately!

Serving Suggestions:

• Arugula Salad
• Warm Quinoa Salad
• Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
• Buttery Mashed Potato Pie

Tips and Tricks

• Cook chicken breasts whole for better searing and flavor.
• Slice the chicken after cooking for easier handling.
• Thinly slice the sausage for uniform cooking and texture.
• Brown the mushrooms after the sausage to build layers of flavor.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese to ensure it melts into the sauce properly.
• Add cheese gradually and ensure each addition is melted before adding more to prevent clumping.