Cajun Chicken Pasta is lightened up, made with chicken strips, bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms and scallions in a creamy light Cajun sauce.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
One of the easiest ways to lighten up a pasta dish is to add tons of protein and vegetables to your dish which keeps the portions large and the carbs low and this dish is a perfect example. Be sure to be generous with your Cajun spices, it should have plenty of kick so don’t be shy!
I took a knife skills class at Sur La Table this week with my girlfriend and of course I HAD to buy a new knife and cutting board there. I was so excited to put my new skills to work and cut my veggies like a pro with my new knife, a task I would normally dread.
This dish comes together rather quickly once all your vegetables are chopped.
How To Make Cajun Chicken Pasta
Cajun Chicken Pasta Tips and Variations
- You can make this with shrimp instead of chicken, or use a combination of both.
- Make this vegetarian by leaving the chicken out or replacing it with tofu and swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- You can also make this gluten-free by using brown rice pasta and replacing the flour with 1 teaspoon of gluten-free flour.
More Pasta Recipe You May Enjoy:
- Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
- Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Escarole
- One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Penne with Brussels Sprouts Ragu
Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked linguine
- 1 pound chicken breast strips
- 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 1 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp light cream cheese
- fresh cracked pepper
- 2 scallions, chopped
- salt to taste
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Prep all your vegetables.
- In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside.
- Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
- Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken.
- Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.
- Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat.
- Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!
Hi, Has anyone found a good lactose free cream cheese to use in this recipe? Thank you!
This was a very nice recipe. My husband, not a big chicken fan, loved it! So happy that we have another night of good eating!
I make this with no mushrooms. A family fave!
not flavorful
Great recipes added some jalapeño for more flavor
This was delicious! I added a little more cream cheese which helped thicken the sauce.
Not a fan of mushrooms. I increased the peppers and left out the musrooms. I will definitely make this again.
Made it exactly and it was amazing !
Made a ton for my husband and I to take left overs for a couple of days and had AMAZING flavor! Will definitely make again!
OMG SO YUMMY! Wish I doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers. Will make this again soon. Thank you!
I must have done something wrong bc it turned out very watery. I will definitely try again and use more Cajun seasoning.
My tips: use cornstarch instead of flour. And don’t mix the cream cheese into the slurry (it ends up cooking too long and breaks) and instead finish it with the cream cheese melting in at the end.
We’re vegetarians, so I have been making this with double the vegetables and sauce and no chicken, and adding much more Cajun seasoning for our tastes. I cannot believe how good it is! I’ve made it a dozen times at least, and every time I check the ingredients as I’ve entered them on my calorie tracking app because I am convinced there is no way they can be so low! This and Cajun beans and rice we eat at least weekly without ever getting tired of them.
I’m making this for a Mardi Gras dinner party and wondering if you have any suggestions for making ahead so I can enjoy my guests and not be in the kitchen. I’ve made several times and love it!!!
Hi Karen,
Did you do this “make ahead?” I’m going to try to prep it tonight and bake it tomorrow. I’m using spaghetti squash in place of the linguini. I’m going to double the sauce but only use what the recipe calls for, but if it’s dry I can incorporate what’s needed tomorrow before the bake. I would love to hear how you made out.
Thanks!
Wendi
p.s. So fabulous you had a Mardi Gras dinner party, love it!
Cant print this. I Go to
Browser and can’t find print link.
Delicious! I added chopped spinach
I liked it, hubby did not.
I love Cajun chicken pasta but can’t handle all the fat and carbs! This was an Amazing substitute! I use zucchini noodles to lower the carbs.! And threw some cilantro on top.
You can actually use “Quick add” function on the WW app. If you go up to the search bar, click on it, and then swipe the blue part (where it says barcode scanner and weely plan) to the right, click on quick add. Then you can just name it whatever, put in the smart points value Gina has listed, and track 🙂 it won’t save it permanently though. But I keep a running list in my phone of my favorite recipe and how many points per serving.
This cajun chicken pasta is amazing. It is very similar to one our favorites from a local restaurant. I used 2 tsp of cajun seasoning to coat the chicken and then sprinkled some in the final step before adding the chicken and pasta back to the sauce and vegetables. Definitely will make it again and will send the recipe to a few of my friends. It does make quite a bit, so for 2 people there will be plenty for a second meal.
OMG…this is an amazing recipe. My husband absolutely loved it. I am sending it to friends. It is so good.
I added just a little more garlic, used whole milk and added Cajun seasoning to the flour, cream cheese and milk slurry. My husband and I always rate and receipe by saying, “would you pay for this again if you were paying for it in a restaurant?”. We both agreed ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!
This is a keeper. I did use half a can of petite diced tomatoes drained because that’s what I had. Other than that I followed the recipe. I did add shrimp to my husbands and chicken to mine. I was worried my sauce wasn’t thick enough but turned out just right. I did like the idea of adding a light laughing cow wedge and I might try that next time just for fun.
Do you have ingredients and measurements to make your own Cajun seasoning?
I added shrimp, but basically kept the recipe the same! We loved it! The slurry is genius!
I made this against the same recipe with heavy cream. This is by far the winner.
Thanks!
Hi, A suggestion from a Weight watcher member. It would be really helpful if these recipes are available in the WW app too. It will help us to track the food easier in WW app.
Thanks,
Taniya
Made this tonight for dinner. It was so delish!!! I wish I could give more than 5 stars. I used thighs instead of breasts (what I had) and added jalapeños. I highly recommend it. Thank you
I stretched the recipe by adding more chicken, another orange pepper, but basically followed the recipe as written. It’s absolutely great! Added bonus, I am lactose sensitive, so I have trouble with all usual cream sauce recipes (I.e., fettuccine Alfredo), which I love. This recipe is lightened perfectly, retaining flavor and consistency, but I was spared the negative reactions I get with usual cream sauces. Highly recommend!
Followed the directions exactly with the exception of cutting the mushroom amount to about 4oz and it turned out bland. I had to add a decent amount of Cajun seasoning at the end. It was good after I added Cajun seasoning when tossing the pasta with the rest of the ingredients. Next time I’ll start adding more Cajun seasoning with the broth/slurry mixture.
I used lentil pasta instead. I used 1/2 the requested pasta and added more cream cheese and some Parmesan and Romano cheese. It was so delicious. My fiancé said it was one of the best things I have made.
Great!!
Thank you for your recipe. I didn’t have all of the ingredients, but this provided a great guide and I was able to adjust to what I had on hand. Delicious!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
The garlic powder isn’t in the ingredient list nor amount…. please correct… thanks
Fixed! 🙂
Has anyone figured the points without the linguine? I’m thinking 3 blue. I can plug it in to the recipe builder. I was just hoping someone tried and can share that info. Thanks!
I have made this so many time and it never disappoints. It is great for meal prep. I have made my own modifications- I use one can of diced tomatoes and instead of cream cheese, I use 3 triangles of the laughing cow cheese (pepper jack flavor). I find that the can of tomatoes allows for a little more sauce and this is good for when I heat it up later in the week. The wedges of laughing cow cheese give it a little extra zing!! Thanks for all of your great recipes.
Would love tips on how to turn this dish into a pasta bake for a crowd. We love this recipe and would like to make it in advance for our daughter’s baptism dinner.
Could I use almond milk instead of Skim or would that alter the flavor and/or consistency? We don’t drink skim so buying it for only 1/3 cup would be a waste. Thanks for your feedback!
Not sure how it will turn out.
I used oat milk and I couldn’t taste the difference, so I think almond milk would be fine. Loved this dish!
I made it with almond milk, and it turned out AWESOME!!
I have used almond milk and oat milk as an alternative and it turns out just fine!
I made this with shrimp and it was delicious. Also, instead of using a blender for cream cheese mixture, I warmed up the milk and cream cheese in the microwave and stirred it until smooth, then added the flour aand stirred again.
Easy recipe! Not everyone in our house likes spicy, so didn’t use cajun. Will make again. Learned something new: slurry. Good tool for making sauces.
It says it makes 7 1/2 cups and the serving size is 11/2. What exactly does 11/2 mean? Looking forward to trying.
Serving size is 1 and 1/2 cups
Can you use chicken stock instead of broth? I’m in the uk and Chicken broth is soup. I love your recipes but I’m struggling to find things in the uk. Thanks!
You can.
Great recipe, used a new Penne pasta for myself that is Shirataki with oat fiber from Liviva foods. First time to try that brand and it was good. 15 calories per serving. Made pasta for husband and divided ingredients up so each “pasta” would get to simmer a bit in sauce. Doubled Cajun seasoning, No extra oil other then the misto spray for chicken. Added a bunch of fresh chopped herbs. Couldn’t find my cream cheese so used cottage cheese a few tabs! Seemed to work. Husband loved the recipe. Thank You.
I’m absolutely hooked on this dish! I cut the recipe in half and dropped the amount of pasta and got it down to 7 points (only used 3 oz of penne), I added shrimp and extra veggies and it is so good and filling! The prep does take some time but it’s worth it.
hi, is there any way to make this in the instant pot?
I just did that tonight!
Cook the chicken in the seasoning until brown and partially cooked. Add onions and sautee. Add pasta and liquid. Increase water/broth by about 2 cups for 12 oz pasta (aim to have liquid just covering pasta). Cook for 4 min HP + QR for pasta that would be 9 minutes if stove top. Add in veggies (would get overcooked if put in earlier). Add in cream cheese. Do not add flour until AFTER pressure cooking – it will cause burning.
I made it with almond milk, and it turned out AWESOME!!
I am looking for the specific amount of garlic powder and salt suggested for seasoning the chicken and the dish. Gina, can you please share that? This is my 2nd time making this recipe, it’s great!
I always eyeball this, as long as there is a layer covering the chicken.
The garlic powder is not in the ingredient list. How much should be used?
Delicious recipe!
Help! I’ve made this twice following the recipe exactly, and both times it is very watery! Does anyone know how to fix this?
You can try using 2 TBs cornstarch instead of flour if you want a thicker sauce.
Mushrooms hold a lot of water, I always cook them separately before hand for 20-30 minutes to get the water out
Another delicious meal Gina
I made this tonight using soymilk and nondairy cream cheese, and it turned out amazing- that might even be an understatement!
I have to say that my husband who doesn’t eat pasta especially long noodles- ate 2 servings and taking leftovers for lunch!
Very easy and fast prep if you’re undecided to try this then yes try it!
Thanks Gina!!!
The “cream” sauce recipe is great. I have yet to make the full recipe but if you use what you have on hand season it to your liking that sauce piece is so versatile. Can’t wait to plan ahead and make the complete recipe.
Made this dish a couple days ago and it was so so good! Sent the link to my sister also.
Thanks for sharing such yummy & lower calorie recipes!
Question, I noticed this recipe in your cookbook and although the ingredients are the same, you say 324 calories here and 375 calories in the book. Can you explain the difference? Thanks! It does change the points value and I’m just trying to figure it out
This is a delicious dish. There is a lot of prep work but it is well worth the effort. I followed the recipe exactly and had no trouble with it being watery. It thickened beautifully and made a sauce to die for. Next time I will serve it with crusty bread so I can get every drop of the sauce. I won’t even mind having to add Weight Watcher points to the meal for the bread. Yummy! Thank you Gina.
I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious. I just want to eat healthier and watch my portions, it was perfect. I thought I would have to give up Cajun chicken but not now. Thank you
Tried this years ago when i was on WW, and just rejoined and this has become a weekly staple in our house as I get a decent amount of leftovers for lunches. Thank you so much for posting this!!
I made this from your cookbook last night for dinner and it was AMAZING!!! My husband- Who absolutely hates all vegetables- Ate every bite, took the leftovers for lunch today, and said he will be requesting this more often!! Thank you for the recipe!!
This is one of our favorites! We like it spicy so I add a lot more cajun seasoning. Love all the veggies and the creamy sauce. Even better the next day!
Love this!! I sub chicken sausage for the chicken breast, so spicy and yummy!!
Pingback: Meal Planning Monday: Week of January 29 – Our Life, Just Healthier
We love this recipe! I’ve made it at least 20 times in the past 2 years and I’ve never had it come out “watery” or “soupy” as some comments suggested. It’s always perfectly coated and creamy every time 🙂
This is one of our favorite recipes, but I love your cookbook in general. Is there anyway we coukd make this in the crock pot? Would you change anything? What are your thoughts? Thank you
Not sure? Haven’t tried
Jaime: I would think the crockpot would soften the veggies & pasta too much & make for a mushy dish. I enjoy the different textures that stovetop allows.
I’ve been making this dish for years & love it so much! I like heat so in addition to increasing the cajun seasoning, I also add a bit of red curry paste.
This is the number one requested meal by my 4 kids! It is so easy to make and flexible. I have made it as a casserole and baked ahead, I have done all the pieces separate a day before and combined at dinner, and I have followed the directions exactly. No matter which way, it turns out lovely every time!
Great! 🙂
This has become a regular at our house. My husband and son always request it. So yummy and feel good about it being lower calorie. 🙂
Pingback: 10 Delicious Dinner Recipes – Habitual
I’ve made this and it’s great. Wondering if you have tried doing this in the Instant Pot yet? I would be interested if it comes out. I’ve seen some other cajun chicken pasta recipes in the Instant Pot but I like yours. Maybe switch out the pasta for penne?
Pingback: Cajun Chicken Pasta | Skinny Dawg
Pingback: Casseretti – Simmer Down Sunday
Gina,
My husband is lactose intolerant. We are looking at making this or Chicken Alfredo from your cookbook. Any recommendations to replace the cream cheese?
Thanks,
Alecia
Maybe one of the vegan or tofu cream cheeses?
I made this dish again last night and it still hits the spot. The Cajun seasoning gives this weeknight chicken dish a great flavor. The fresh veggies stay crisp and there is just enough sauce for the pasta. I might try it with shrimp next time. Thanks Gina for keeping things healthy and interesting.
Shrimp sounds good!
SOOOO good! Don’t skimp on the Cajun seasoning!
Pingback: Guide to Food Prep – Part 2 (Ideas) | Whatever Floats Your Oats
I have been “following” you, on your website for a few years now….I have never made this recipe…a bit of preparation work but worth it….
The liquid ingredient amounts are incorrect unless you’re looking for a soup. This came out super watery.
I’m so thankful for your blog & recipes, Gina. You never disappoint!
I did not have issues with the sauce being too thin, but I did use whole milk as we only have whole milk in the fridge.
I finally made this tonight and it was AMAZING!!! From reading the comments of it being watery, I used a bouillon cube instead of chicken broth and reduced the liquid to 2/3 cup instead of 1 cup of broth. I also added 1 more tbs of light cream cheese to make it more creamy. My son LOVED it! I had to stop him from going back for thirds. This recipe will go into our rotation. Thanks for posting it. 🙂
finally got around to making this and it was DELISH!!! I would like to add Shrimp next time like another commenter did. amazingly flavorful, not too spicy and so creamy. yum!!! can’t believe this is light or skinny!
My family absolutely loves this pasta dish. It has become one of our regulars and is requested quite often in your home! I feel better about the fewer calories too! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
You’re welcome! Glad your family likes it!!
Pingback: 5 Ways to Maintain Weight Loss During Stressful Times | House Bailey
Pretty much the best dish ever. I’m going to try rotini noodles next time as they’re easier for the kids to eat. My wife and I now only go to this website to plan for all of our meals. No joke, we’ve tried 20+ recipes and we have never been disappointed! Keep them coming!
Thank you! I plan on it!
Any suggestions for a replacement for the mushrooms? Maybe just increase the other veggies?
Yes, just add more of what you like
It took about 40 min this first try. I started right after i got home at 5 and we were eating by 6. It was yummy and i am going to definitely make this again. Now that i have a practice run i can do this in much less time. It was fantastic that even my 4 year old granddaughter loved it and she is some fussy.And the smells!
I just made this for dinner and omg! Wow! Delicious! In awe of this recipe! Thank you for sharing this!
Made this with zoodles! Its great!
Made this with zoodles! Its great!
I made this recipe today, we loved it so much! Even my picky eating daughter finished the whole plate. Thumbs up!
Would this be good with zucchini noodles? . Ive been on the zoodle train now and its amazing!
I made this last night and it was watery 🙁 I think I will use less chicken broth next time and put it over brown rice without the pasta!
omg this dish is delicious
This is SO so so so so so SO SO SO GOOD.
Used Tony C's creole, heavily, on the chicken. Left out the mushrooms, used a green pepper in addition to the red and yellow, and added some baby spinach at the end.
I could literally eat this every day of the week and I am so excited about it I'm commenting on an almost 4 year old post.
THANK YOU.
Made this tonight. Very good! My cajun seasoning is very hot so I am glad I only put in one spoon full. Used chicken and shrimp. The shrimp is really good in this dish.
I served this Christmas eve as part of my Pasta Bar. I prepped/cooked all ahead (except for the pasta). I just slightly undercooked the veggies. When close to serving time I gently reheated the sauce mixture and then tossed with the pasta. It was perfect and delicious!
making this tonight for the first time.
put through the recipe builder,(without the pasta) made it serve 4 rather than 5, and got 4 smart points.
just allows me the option of less pasta, or no pasta and zucchini noodles on the side.
really looking forward to dinner! 🙂
Going to try this with zoodles!!
My family DEVOURED this meal. My 16 year old went back for thirds and my picky 12 year old went back for seconds. I also used the homemade Cajun seasoning blend (2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon black pepper 2 teaspoons garlic powder 2 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons ground red pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried thyme) and it worked perfectly.
I have a little left over hiding in the back of the fridge hoping I get to it first!
I just made this one and it was delish! But it came out a bit watery, I have put it down to being in a totally different country and having slightly different ingredients. To make it thicker should I reduce some of the liquid? Or increase the flour?
I had the same problem at first. I made it “not watery at all” by reducing the slurry and eliminating the broth. Use ONE tablespoon of cream cheese, a splash of milk and a teaspoon of flour. It comes out with great consistency, lighter and even a bit more flavorful flavorful. Such a great, easy dish. Love this.
Your blog was too good. i really appreciate with your blog.Thanks for sharing.
2015 Indian Super League Opening Ceremony Tickets
How to Watch Live Cricket Online
I made this tonight. It was absolutely delicious. I forgot I only had almond milk and I didn't want to use it. However I had heavy cream in the refrigerator so I used it and thinned it out with some of the chicken broth. I didn't want to put the heavy cream in the processor and turn it to butter so I whisk the cream, cream cheese and flour by hand with a small whisk until it was just blended. Since I left the cream cheese out until it was room temperature It was very easy to whisk them together. You've got to try this recipe!
I substituted white turkey meat for the chicken, doubled the amount of Cajun Seasoning, and added 1 teaspoon of Cumin to the mix. Delicious!!!!!
I made this last night, it was wonderful except that I used a wider pasta (ribbon like) and ruined it because there was so much! I supposed I could take some out. Will definitely make it again! Also, I found a recipe for homemade Cajun spice, yay!
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Hi Gina!
I'm curious about something. Since this recipe was posted, zoodles have made their appearance in many pasta dishes. Do you see a reason why they wouldn't work in this one?
Thanks! Love all your recipes! You make eating healthy, real food enjoyable!! 🙂
They would totally work! I would sprinkle them with salt and then fry them off for a few minutes to remove the liquid, as there is already a good amount of liquid in the sauce.
With all them spices plus red pepper and cayenne pepper. Does it taste spicy?
I bought your book back in November when I started working on get healthy. I made this just the other night for dinner. I substituted brown rice for the pasta because that is what I had. It was a hit with my very picky 16 yr old son. I am currently studying Culinary Arts and love trying new recipes. Your recipes are amazing, so full of flavor and healthy.
Just made this. and it is very good! Just takes about 45 minutes to prepare. And next time I will make my own cajun seasoning – store bought is loaded with salt.
How would you alter the recipe if you wanted to use zoodles instead of noodles? Would you use less broth?
Not to nitpick…and i don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but,in your book you have garlic powder listed as an ingredient but I don't see it here on the website(yet it's mentioned in the instructions). Not a criticism. I'm making this tonight and am sure it will be delicious but a newbie who didn't have it on hand might not read the whole recipe before shopping. Can't wait to try this. 🙂
Delicious! I'd pinned this a while back and finally got around to giving it a try. Full of veggies and really filling. Glad I tried it!
Adding this yummy dish to my rotation. My entire family loved it!
Delicious! Thanks for sharing
Any ideas as to what to do with the leftover cream cheese? Made this dish last night and it was delicious, but what to do with the leftover cream cheese…any suggestions?
Has anyone tried making this using zoodles instead of linguine?
I got your cookbook and this was the first recipe I made last Saturday. It was excellent! Who knew you could make such a creamy sauce without any cheese and with skim milk. Can't wait to try other recipes!
This is such an excellent recipe. The flavors all mesh together so well. Thanks, Gina, for such a great recipe! In fact, every recipe that I have tried is delicious. You are the best!!
Good golly this was tasty. Mine didn't turn out quite as pretty as yours (I ended up having to reheat it several times), but grownups know that just because something doesn't look good doesn't mean it doesn't taste good.
Can't wait to dig into the leftovers for lunch today!
OH MY GOD, this dish was AMAZING! It came out way better than I could have ever expected. The boyfriend and I were making serious yummy noises throughout the entire thing. It's by far one of the best meals I've ever made!
This is super good! Definitely going to be making again, maybe with shrimp next time
superb i made this for lunch today
hope my lunch gonna super
check this http://www.englishmuffinpizza.net/
soooooooo gooooood
I made this last week and it was absolutely divine. A great weeknight option.
Eating this right now! Turned out so tasty. Followed the recipe exactly 🙂
I cooked this tonight without the mushrooms and it was delicious. Definitely a keeper. Thanks 🙂
This is one of my favorites!
I'm wondering if you could freeze this as leftovers?
What an amazing dish! I just made this and wow. Super tasty, easy to make, and it tastes super rich. My boyfriend could not believe the sauce was "skinny!" Highly recommend for a quick dinner.
Made this tonight and it was ON POINT. My hubby often orders Cajun Chicken Pasta when we're out to dinner, and so I was happy to make this at home
I have made this twice now. The first time, I made it with chicken and my husband LOVED it! And that is really saying something because he is a picky man! The second time I made it, I used some shrimp. Just as tasty! I added a little extra seasoning to make it extra spicy and took the left overs to work the next day! LOVE IT!!!
I made this tonight for the first time and loved it! It will be added to the list of great recipes from Skinnytaste!
Family loved it. I'm using your slurry in other recipes that would otherwise have used more fat!
Do you have any suggestions to keep it dairy-free?
Would you believe I'm making this at least once a week? That's how delicious it is!
If you Dont have a blender what do you do?
Have made this 3 times and it was delicious each time!! The prep can take a while, so add it time to get all your vegetables chopped before hand. Is great leftover and even freezes well 🙂
amazing loved it
This is one of my favorite recipe's. I am making I tonight. 🙂 So yummy!
I made this last night, and it was delish. I used my mandoline to slice the veggies so they sauteed quicker and melded in with the pasta effortlessly. I have a teenage daughter who will eat around bell peppers, but she didn't even realize what they were, using this technique! The sauce was delicious – much better than a heavy cream sauce. I used McCormick Cajun seasoning, which had a great flavor. Very impressed with this recipe!
I could not make it to Mardi Gras, so I made this for lunch! Amazing & so flavorful!
My daughter is going off to college in the fall & she keeps saying how much she will miss these Skinnytaste meals!! Thanks Gina!
Susan PS
Meadows Place, TX
This is by far one of our families favorite meals! I made it with chicken and shrimp. My daughter can't get enough of it!
Excited to try this tonight. My husband and I recently started Weight Watchers and Cajun/Creole food is his favorite so this may be perfect.
One question – Does anyone have a suggestion for a substitution for bell peppers? Unfortunately, I'm unable to eat them and sometimes when I cut them out I feel like something is missing.
I've been looking at this meal for almost a year and FINALLY made it!! It was amazing!! Seriously one of the best meals I've ever made.. It was a ton of prep work, but the outcome was well worth it! It also make an enormous amount! The servings are huge and filling.. definitely don't feel like I am sacrificing anything being on my diet today 🙂 Can't wait to eat leftovers for lunch! Thanks GINA!! Your recipes NEVER disappoint!
Gina!!! You have brought my love for cooking back! I stumbled upon your site and fell in love instantly! Made this Cajun Chicken pasta as fajitas instead, I think my whole family fell in love with me all over again!!! I then put the mix in omelettes the next morning…..MmmmmMmmmm they were good! JUst a shout out to you! Thank you so much! Keira
This recipe is so delicious! Great way to get all your vegetables in. 🙂 In addition to the peppers and mushrooms, I'll often add in zucchini or whatever other vegetables I have on hand. And since I can't eat a lot of dairy, I generally skip the cream cheese and just add some plain Greek yogurt; I don't think it hurts the recipe one bit.
Made this tonight with whole wheat spaghetti instead on linguini. So yummy, and I love that it's good for me. Thanks Gina!
Wow, was this great! My college-aged daughter made this tonight and we all loved it – fresh, full of veggies, perfect flavor, and yummy sauce. Thanks so much.
It looks delicious and charming. But I have no idea about linguine.
Can I make this and freeze the leftovers? I don't want it to go to waste and we can't eat all of it in 2 days?
YUM! I made this today and doubled it for leftovers. Since this isn't prime tomato season, I used 2 cans of fire roasted tomatoes (well drained) for the double batch. The only change I will make for next time is to use whole wheat penne instead of linguine because I think it will be better in this sauce. My husband went through 2 bowls, and he has already said he wants this again for dinner! Great recipe!!!
Made this dish for dinner last night and we all loved it. It will become one of our staple recipes. I had a dish like this from The Palace Restaurant in Santa Barbara last year, so glad for the recipe and skinny to boot!
Can't wait to try this one. This site is inspiring me to lose weight. Oh, by the way, what new knife did you get? Thank you!
I've made this twice now, it is full of flavor and we loved it!!
Made this for dinner tonight!!! It was very good!!! The only thing I did different was used Almond Milk unsweetened instead of skim milk cuz that is what I had on hand!! Thanks for the yummy receipe!!
my mom made this and i loved it. thanks.
I had pinned this and finally made it. I took it to an event and it was a hit! Delicious! I had leftover grilled chicken so I used that and put the Cajun spice in the slurry- worked great. Next time I am going to make it even spicier (I have Cajun roots!)
Love this recipe! Switched out the chicken and used Turkey sausage instead!
Made this last night and it was so good!! I will definitely be making this again! 🙂
We made this for dinner last night and it was so good! We will definitely make it again. Thanks Gina for supplying us with all the good recipes that are so yummy and healthier as well.
We had this for dinner last night and it was soooo yummy. Next time I might add juuuust a bit of corn starch. Winner winner!
I made this last night and we loved it so much that we ate the leftovers for dinner tonight too! So tasty, easy to make, and filling. Loved it!
Thank you for all the wonderful recipes Gina!! I check your website every day and haven't opened a recipe book in months! I've made this several times and love it but am curious… have you ever tried substituting spaghetti squash for the linguine?
I love this recipe, we cook it often. only changes we made is we use 2 green bell peppers and 1 very large red bell pepper. I also increased the broth to 1 1/2 cups and a extra Tbsp cream cheese, and 1/2 tbsp flour to make more broth. I add more mushrooms cause I love them and we use Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning here so that is what I use. Its very spicy using that seasoning but again we like it. I am cooking it right now and I am not going to toss the pasta with it cause i'm doing south beach right now and in phase 1 so no pasta for me but i'm sure it will be delish without the pasta. THANK YOU for this recipe its awesome 🙂
Just made this, and it was SO GREAT! Best thing I've made in a while. So easy to make, and did not taste low-cal. I think you could even leave out the chicken, and make this a vegetarian dish.
I made this last night and it was absoultely amazing. My partner loves pasta but I struggle to find healthy pasta dishes so this was much appreciated; she lovedddddddd it! Thanks!
Amazing! I have made many dishes from SkinnyTaste that have been very good but this is the first recipe I have posted a review for. My boyfriend and I gobbled this up. It is the perfect amount of spice and has so much flavor. My boyfriend said he could eat it everyday for the rest of his life. I highly recommend trying this!
This is delicious. We also use Tony's. I'm making it again tonight. It is definitely a new family favorite.
Made this tonight! Even my picky kids are this and loved it! Excellent! Thanks so much!
I omitted the mushrooms because they make me ill, but this was exactly what I was looking for otherwise! So colorful, flavorful, and guilt-free. It was a nice treat for my boyfriend too since we don't often eat pasta.
can this dish freeze?
Can this dish freeze?
We just finished eating this for dinner, and it was delicious! I left out the onion, but that was the only change. My husband declared it one of his favorite pasta dishes ever, thanks so much for the recipe! 🙂
This is so delicious. I've been eating the leftover for the past couple of days and it just keeps getting better. I could eat it every day!
Very good, and easy to prepare! My daughter says it tastes just like her favorite dish at Applebee 's. Thanks!
It was easy to make and so delicious! It's definitely a keeper! Thanks
This was great!! I cut my chicken too big and it got a bit overwhelmed by the vegetables in individual servings. So tasty though! Will use more chicken next time and be a bit more liberal with my seasoning on the vegetables. Great recipe and thank you!!
We never had cajun chicken pasta before… I know I know! I cooked this recipe for first time, it was SO good!! Now it has became our favorite family dish all of times!! Accidently added whole can of light cream cheese but found to be creamier than 3 TBSP of light cream cheese. But I would add more than that. Overall this recipe is declicious! Thank you for this recipe!!
I have to admit I was wary of this one… I don't tend to venture into other regional cuisines often, but my friend suggested it and I figured I'd try it once. I couldn't find the Tony's Cajun seasoning, but I got a container anyway. I was kicking myself thinking I'd only use it once and it'd sit in my cupboard, etc. I was SO wrong! My husband is still working so he hasn't tried his yet, but I am anxious to see if it will be on our monthly list! I LOVED it!
This dish was excellent. I must say the sauce isn't thick; it's rather runny. You could always add a little more flour to thicken the sauce if desired. I used whole wheat bow tie b/c it's what I had on hand. I will definitely be making this recipe again. I'm so happy I came across this website.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! My family loved it. I sent the leftovers to my parents, and they were fighting over it. Thank you for a recipe that tastes so bad; makes you think you are really getting a treat.
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! My family loved it. I sent the leftovers to my parents, and they were fighting over it. Thank you for a recipe that tastes so bad; makes you think you are really getting a treat.
This this was so delicious! The smell while it is cooking is fantastic and the completed dish is so creamy! It tastes decadent and makes you feel like you are indulging! This may be my new favorite and I have made ALOT of your recipes. Thanks so much for posting this fantastic recipe!
This recipe was at the top of my list to try but my hubby does not do spice OR peppers so it's been on the back burner. I finally got my chance when he went out of town with my brother-in-law. My sister and I made this and it was just as good as I'd hoped it be!! Seriously delicious. My favorite recipe from your blog and that is saying a lot because I have made quite a few of them.
I have made this a few times now and it is a hit every time! And I have a very picky eater on my hands!
I've been eyeing this recipe for a while now. Finally made it for supper tonight. OMG soooo good!! We will be making this often. Very easy to make as well! Thank you!
Made this a few nights ago and it is very very good! I used the Tony Chacere's seasoning as some of the other commenters stated, and it gave it a very nice flavor. This dish is so easy to prepare…cut your veggies ahead of time and you can whip it up in no time! I will definitely be making this again!
Made this last night. I used the new laughing cow cream cheese wedges and Fiber Gourmet pasta… YUM!
This was amazing!! My new favorite pasta! I added zucchini too, cant go wrong with more green.
Evidently I was the only one who had a problem with this one? The ingredients are all out of order, making the actual cooking a nightmare for me. There are also things in the instructions that aren't listed in the ingredients list and no measurements. There was WAY too much food for me to mix together in my large skillet and I ended up using a giant saucepan to mix it all together. Also, because of all the giant pictures, scrolling up and down constantly was a pain. However, it was very tasty. If I do this again, I'll copy the entire recipe out and re-order the ingredients. It will save me tons of headache.
This is one of the best recipes I have found in the 2 years I have been eating healthier. My husband has also jumped on the bandwagon recently and couldn't believe that this was good for him. Love this site!
Wow! Yumm! Just made this and it is a keeper. I didn't have any cajun spice so just used old bay seasoning and added more black pepper, garlic powder, red chili pepper, and a little cayenne. Added zucchini too since I had that. Turned out great. Will have to look for some cajun spice at the store for next time. Thanks for the recipe.
Ive made this with both chicken and shrimp (currently observing Lent) and it was outstanding both times. I did leave out the mushrooms because we are NOT fans and I didn't think it was lacking anything!
This was so so, flavor was mild and ho hum. I was excited to make this with all the glowing reviews, I guess my tasted buds was use to exciting flavors.
I made this tonight. AMAZING!! It reminded me of the spicy chicken pasta from the Cheesecake Factory, but much better. I used Emeril's Creole seasoning recipe (minus the thyme because I was out of it). I think next time I may add some peas and/or asparagus.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. My whole family lovs it even my picky 4 year old. Do you think it would work with Spaghetti squash? I have never cooked with it before and have 2 to use from my bountiful basket.
Yummmm this was so delicious!! So glad I came across this on Pintrest…I have been on a mission to find tasty healthy meals and have not been excited about anything I've tried..this is such a great tasting meal and you don' feel guilty about eating it! Can't wait to try more of your recipes and glad I found you!
This is one of my new favorite recipes!! I have made it twice now, once with chicken and the second time with shrimp! I prefer it with the shrimp 🙂 I have leftovers for dinner tonight but I may reheat the shrimp, veggies, and sauce and serve it over some sauteed spinach with avocado and toss the pasta so I can indulge in a big bowl of popcorn after dinner without carb overloading 🙂 🙂
Another fantastic meal from you!!!! My family licked the pan clean. Since I had a toddler and picky eater in the group I just held back a couple of chicken strips without the spices and added them to their pasta at the end which helped to cut down on the overall spiciness. The rest of us thought the full flavored dish was wonderful.
Ah…. Mazing!!!
Extremely bland and tasteless.
Bland and tasteless just like your comment,…. I just read thru over 100+ comments that raved about this recipe. Clearly you do not know how to operate the spice rack.
I made this recipe last weekend and it was FANTASTIC! My husband couldn't wait to eat more the next day for lunch! It will be part of our weekly rotation. I make so many of your recipes and my pics don't look as nice but so far everything has tasted great! Thanks
Had to do something with my mushroom leftovers and saw this. It was AMAZING. My boyfriend ate every bit of it and went for seconds, thirds and actually scraped out the entire thing out of the pan. I only used one chicken breast (About 1.5lbs) so that it would have more veggies to chicken and you know what? I didn't even miss the chicken! I'm def going to make this a kitchen staple. Thank you so much for helping me in my journey of turning my family healthy one meal at a time! This was mouth watering finger smacking (well… if we hadn't used forks…) AMAZING! I am SO GLAD I didn't resort to making the usual fajitas.
For the readers, if you're wondering to make this or not, JUST DO IT. You can't fail at this simple, savory dish.
On this recipe, it says in the ingredients list 3 cloves garlic minced, but then in your directions you have to add the garlic powder. Which one did you use? I made this last night and it is one of my favorites so far, and we ended up using just the garlic powder, but we went back and forth for a while trying to figure out which one was correct. 🙂 Thanks! Great recipe!
This was absolutely delicious. I got rave reviews from my Fiance and his best friend! Can't wait to have some of the left overs today!!
Just made this dinner for my family and I'm in heaven! Thanks Gina – as always you've come through for me 🙂
I made this tonight, and it was SO amazing. I was very full afterwards! I added orange peppers in, too!
This is one of my favorite recipes that you have posted. It is delicious!
Tried this recipe and it was AMAZING!!.would definatley recommend it.
Made this tonight and it was so so good. We wanted 2nds and 3rds and wanted to lick the plate. Deeeeeelish.
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing!! I loved that it was a light dish, filled with all those fantastic veggies yet it packed a serious flavor punch. Thank you for such a great recipe!! The whole family loved it and I have some very picky eaters to contend with.
Outstanding!!!! Wouldn't change a thing. Hubby loved it too!
Any suggestions of something to sub for the mushrooms? Or if I just leave them out entirely, will I not miss them?
I made this this weekend and it was AMAZING! I added a little bit of hot sauce to the milk/cream chesse mixture before pouring it into the skillet. I'm all about spicy foods. I have tried several of you recipes and they have all be wonderful, but this has definitley been my favorite. Best website I have ever stumbled upon!
-Stefani
I love, love, love your recipes. They taste sooo good I feel like I'm eating bad. My fiance told me to put this recipe in regular rotation.
Thank you for this website. So many wonderful recipes!!!!!!
Made this tonight. Complete deliciousness. Going into my make again file. Husband who does not need to worry about calories also raved about it!
This was WONDERFUL!! My family loved it! It took every ounce of willpower I possess to not eat more of it. I can see making it quite often. You really created a delicious recipe here.
Just made this tonight, it was DELICIOUS! Thank you!
I made this tonight, and it was so good. It tasted like a restuarant meal. The slurry mixed with the cajun spices made the sauce taste so good. I was already thinking of ways to make it vegetarian for when my family comes to visit. Cooking the chicken in 2 batches isn't really necessary, overall it took about 45 min to make.
Made this recipe tonight for my family and everyone loved it! (ages 2-32) Thanks for all your amazing recipes.
Just made this, and this is FANTASTIC 🙂
I added a little chipotle for some extra kick.
This sounds fantastic! Definitely adding it to my meal plan for next week. My husband is SUPER picky and I think even he will enjoy this lovely, full flavor, healthy dish. Thanks!
i made this tonight…very good…i hate trying new recipes that turn out not worth the trouble but this one was worth it. My 15 yr old son liked it which is something.
Nice recipe, although I felt needed a bit more kick. I'll make again but put a tsp of cayenne pepper in with the slurry. Cheers
In your directions you say "Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt." but in your ingredients list you don't mention garlic powder. How much garlic powder should you use to season? Thanks!
Great recipe I followed the directions exactly however, next time i would use about half of the slurry & double the chicken broth to make it a little lighter & more flavor.
Gina,
I started a contest at work for my team to see who could lose the most weight in the next two months. To get them started I brought this dish in to show them you can eat healthy without sacrificing flavor. They aboslutely LOVED it!! Most kept swearing up and down there was not way there were only 360 calories in it. Needless to say there was none left to take home (and I made a double batch). Thanks again for the recipe, next up will be the sloppy joes 🙂 YUM!
Andrea
This is absolutely one of the BEST recipes I've ever made! I felt like I was eating in a very fine restaurant! So delicious! Definitely a keeper!
i just made this AGAIN and i can't deny that i totally love it!! thank you for this recipe Gina you are totally awesome and have great skills!!
Just made this! Omitted onions & mushrooms for a picky palate ;), substituted broccoli. Divine! Good enough to share leftovers with a friend at work. I went heavy on the Cajun spices, really made the difference for us. Thank you! Can't wait to make another one of your recipes!
Is the pasta calculated in the point plus that is shown?
My husband and I cannot believe this was only 8 points!!! It was delicious and we had enough for a leftover lunch the next day. The only change we made was to replace the mushrooms with a jalapeno which added some good flavor/spice. Thanks for another amazing dish!
I have made this many times for friends and family and get rave reviews every time. Is WONDERFUL and is even better the next day. This is a fan favorite in our home. Thank you so much for sharing!
Soooo good! Tastes just like full fat! I let mine sit overnight to thicken the sauce and it was perfect!
I came across this recipe because a friend of mine posted it up..I kept putting off making it because I never had the ingredients but I finally gave in && Boy I was missing out! It was soooo yummy! My boyfriend loves when I make this & it's healthy which is such a plus! A recipe that I get to add to the dinner rotation–Thanks!
This was amazing. No joke, so much taste and so little calories. Everyone loved it. I am so grateful for this recipe!! THANK YOU!!!!
I am soo greatful i found this, we have been trying to eat better and this is a GREAT dish, we LOvE it, try it folks, amazing.
Have anyone tried this without the skim milk and cream cheese? My husband is lactose intolerant but I would love to try this dish…
Made this for dinner and family loved it! Hubby said it was a keeper! So yummy!!
I made this tonight and it is excellent! I actually added some shrimp that I had leftover from a meal a couple of nights ago and it worked great. I made the cajun seasoning from scratch and I am glad I decided not to buy that–the mix was just right.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Wow! Delicious!!
I've made this delicious dish twice now. My daughter, who is in college, took some back to school and fed it to her athelete room mates! They absolutely LOVED it!!!! Great and healthy swimmer food!
Amazing recipe! So rich and full of flavor that it was hard to believe it is actually good for you! Hubby even forgot to add the flour and it was still delicious. Can't wait to make this again (with the flour)! Thanks Gina!!
I just made this tonight and was a WINNER! It was really delicious and my family absolutely loved it. Thanks so much 🙂
It's fantastic that you are getting thoughts from this article as well as from our argument made at this place.
Here is my page – antalyada satilik daireler
My teenage son said this was the best thing I have ever made! It is awesome!
I forgot to add the broth. Oops! However, it all tasted great. My children thought it was a little spicy. I used a bag of frozen pepper strips and omitted the mushrooms. It was really good! My daughter still got seconds (5yr old) and the house does smell great. Without the broth, the "sauce" sticks to the noodles more, but I think the broth would have been better as an addition so there was something to thicken from the flour. Again, it was still delicious!
Really delicious! We doubled the sauce (since we had more chicken, veggies and pasta) but to keep the sauce thick I used 2 tsp of "better than bouillon" in 1 cup of water instead of 2. A new favorite!
I have to say this is another winner in our household. I would have loved to use more of the cajun spices but I have two people in my house who can't handle the heat. This was beyond tastey!! Thank you for another keeper in my weightloss journey.
Yum! Our first recipe from your website. We will be back for more! I added a little extra kick to mine because we kept it tame four our tween to enjoy as well. Good flavor.
I made this tonight, and I'll echo the previous comments–Awesome!! I was a bit skeptical as I was prepping all those veggies. I was thinking, "nah, too much work to make again." Don't worry. I changed my mind in the first bite, and my family agreed! It was well worth the effort. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
This was amaze! I followed the recommendations in the comments to add the cornstarch/water mix before adding the chicken. I had way thicker sauce, and more sauce than what is in the pic in this post. It was soooo good.
I LOVE this recipe! My boyfriend is constantly taste testing the healthy recipes that I find online and he loved it too! So filling and flavorful. Of course he is not watching his weight so he added parmesan to the