Spicy Jambalaya Pasta Chicken (Printable)
Louisiana-style pasta with chicken, shrimp, peppers, and creamy Cajun-spiced sauce.
# Ingredient List:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 8 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
03 - 3.5 oz andouille sausage, sliced (optional)
→ Pasta
04 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 small onion, diced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 2 tomatoes, diced
10 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish
→ Sauce Ingredients
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - ½ cup chicken broth
13 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Spices and Seasonings
16 - 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
17 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
18 - ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
19 - ½ tsp dried thyme
20 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Optional Garnish
21 - Fresh parsley, chopped
22 - Grated Parmesan cheese
# How to Make:
01 - Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta water, and set aside.
02 - Toss shrimp with 1 tsp Cajun seasoning. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp Cajun seasoning.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sausage; cook 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
04 - Add remaining olive oil and butter to skillet. Cook shrimp 1-2 minutes per side until opaque. Remove and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, cook onion and peppers until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, remaining Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes.
07 - Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened.
08 - Return chicken, sausage, and shrimp to pan. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed for sauce consistency. Adjust seasoning and serve hot with green onions, parsley, and Parmesan.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The creamy sauce balances the heat perfectly so you get all that bold flavor without overwhelming your palate
- One pan handles all the proteins and vegetables, making cleanup almost suspiciously easy
02 -
- Reserving pasta water is not optional, that starchy liquid is what binds your sauce and pasta together perfectly
- Shrimp turn from perfectly cooked to rubbery in seconds, so watch them like a hawk and remove immediately when opaque
03 -
- Heat your skillet properly before adding proteins, otherwise everything will stick and you'll miss those beautiful browned bits
- Let the sauce simmer for the full time mentioned, it needs those minutes to thicken and marry all the flavors together