One Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta
A quick, easy breezy recipe! Made with chicken, pasta and veggies that's all coated in a creamy cajun seasoned sauce. So delicious!
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ½ tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 medium red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper sliced similarly
- 1 small red onion halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ¾ cup heavy cream divided
- 12 oz penne pasta Barilla recommended
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water for thickening
- ¾ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Instructions
- First, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your pressure cooker pot over medium heat. Toss in the chicken pieces, coat 'em with cajun seasoning, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. You’ll want to pull the chicken out and set it aside for now.
- Keep that pot going with the remaining olive oil. Add your sliced red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, and minced garlic. Saute until veggies soften just right, about 5 minutes. The smell already starts ticking your taste buds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Raise the heat to bring the mix to a boil. Watch that steam start to rise, you’re almost there.
- Stir in half the heavy cream and return your browned chicken into the pot. Toss in the penne pasta next, pushing it down so it’s submerged in the broth depth properly. Gently stir to spread everything out.
- Seal your pressure cooker lid, check your float valve is up, then set to cook. When it reaches high pressure, let it cook for about 6 minutes. Use natural release after cooking to keep the pasta from getting mushy. This tender pull moment is exactly what you want.
- Once done, open the lid, stir in your cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce a bit. Add the remaining heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Season with more cajun seasoning if you want some extra heat. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top before serving. That’s it, you’re ready to dig in!
Notes
Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge. It’ll last about 3 to 4 days and reheats nicely. When reheating, add a splash of chicken broth or cream to refresh the sauce, so it doesn’t dry out. For longer storage, freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently on the stove or microwave.