Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

We finally moved back into the house this week. It smells like new paint and sawdust instead of mold. My room feels the same and completely different at the same time. I have my bed back and my own space again.

Mama is so happy with her new kitchen design. She keeps standing in it and smiling. Daddy looks tired but proud — he did most of the work himself.

This week I made Monday jambalaya in the new kitchen. It tasted even better because the counters are bigger. I wrote the recipe and added a note: "New beginnings make old recipes taste fresh."

Saturday was MawMaw Shirley's birthday — she turned 73. We all went to her house in Baker. She made the full gumbo in her cast iron pot. I helped stir the roux and it turned perfect chocolate. The house smelled like roux and coffee and healing. For a few hours everything felt like it was before the water came.

At night I wrote: "We lost things in the flood, but we gained a stronger house and stronger hearts." Twelve years old and grateful in a way I didn't know I could be. I'm not rushing the next chapter. I'm stirring it slow and thankful.

Making that Monday jambalaya in Mama’s new kitchen — with her big counters and the smell of fresh paint still in the air — reminded me how much Cajun cooking is really about starting over and making something good out of whatever you have. This creamy Cajun chicken pasta carries that same spirit: bold seasoning, deep flavor, and the kind of warmth that fills a house the way MawMaw Shirley’s roux filled hers on Saturday. It’s not gumbo, and it’s not jambalaya — but it tastes like home, and right now, that’s everything.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, divided
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
10 oz penne or fettuccine pasta, cooked al dente and reserved (with 1/2 cup pasta water)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Season the chicken. Toss sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 3–4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Build the base. In the same pan over medium heat, add onion and bell peppers. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Make the sauce. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in heavy cream, diced tomatoes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Combine and finish. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time. Stir in Parmesan until melted and smooth. Return the chicken to the pan and toss everything together.
Serve. Plate immediately and top with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta — Stirring It Slow and Thankful in a Brand New Kitchen