Tender bites of chicken and shrimp are tossed with pasta and colorful bell peppers in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce to create this Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta.
Shrimp and Chicken Pasta
When I first had the idea for this dinner, I was simply trying to clean out the freezer. I lucked into a package of chicken thighs along with some shrimp I’d picked up on sale a while back.
I hadn’t made my boys’ favorite cajun pasta in a while, (oh, how I love Cajun flavors!) so one thought led to another and pretty quickly I had the meats sizzling on the stove.
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- bite-size pasta
- olive oil
- shrimp
- chicken thighs
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- bell peppers
- heavy cream
- Cajun seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
Start by cooking the pasta in heavily salted water. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside. Rinse the shrimp and lay them out on a paper towel-lined tray. Pat them dry.
While the pasta cooks, warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat.
Spread the shrimp in a single layer across the pan and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, until it begins to turn color.
Turn the shrimp over and cook an additional minute, just until pink. Transfer the cooked shrimp from the pan to a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the chicken. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of Cajun spices and stir to coat. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stir, and continue cooking for a couple more minutes. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the shrimp.
Add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers to the hot skillet. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft. Add a small splash of water and scrape up most of the browned bits. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the meats.
Spicy Cajun Pasta
Pour the cream into the skillet and then add the spices. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken a bit, this should take about 1-2 minutes.
Scrape up any remaining browned bits on the bottom of the pan while the cream mixture warms.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well to coat.
Add a splash of the reserved pasta water, only if the pasta looks dry.
Add the shrimp, chicken, and vegetables to the pasta and toss again to mix throughout. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
If you want a few more spicy Cajun dishes to try, roasted Cajun Potatoes are a great side dish for pretty much any meal.
They are also delicious chopped up with a soft egg on top or tossed into egg burritos along with a bit of sausage or bacon.
Oh! The potatoes are delicious with this Cajun Dipping Sauce too. I recommend doing a batch of Cajun Steak Bites to go along with them and you’ll have a very tasty dinner on the table with a minimum of effort.
And don’t forget to add this Jambalaya Pasta to your list too! This saucy one-pot pasta is a weeknight dinner you are going to love.
Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound bite-size pasta fusilli, bowtie, rotini, penne, etc.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pound chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about ¾ cup
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bell peppers assorted colors, chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 2 cups
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning adjust for desired heat
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain the pasta, and set aside. Rinse the shrimp and lay them out on a paper towel-lined tray. Pat them dry.
- While the pasta cooks, warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the shrimp in a single layer across the pan and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, until it begins to turn color. Turn the shrimp over and cook an additional minute, just until pink. Transfer the cooked shrimp from the pan to a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the chicken. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of Cajun spices and stir to coat. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stir, and continue cooking for a couple more minutes.
- Add the onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to the bowl with the shrimp.
- Pour the cream into the skillet and then add the spices. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken a bit, this should take about 1-2 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan while the cream mixture warms.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss well to coat. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water, only if the pasta looks dry. Add the shrimp, chicken and vegetables to the pasta and toss again to mix throughout. Remove from the heat and serve hot.
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