Chicken Spaghetti in Spicy Cajun Cream Sauce

Creamy Cajun chicken pasta is great for busy weeknight dinners with juicy garlic and Parmesan-crusted chicken and spaghetti tossed in a delicious spicy Cajun cream sauce. This 30-minute meal comes together quickly with simple ingredients and pairs well with toasted bread to soak up all that luscious cream sauce.

Pasta:
12 oz spaghetti
water
sea salt

Chicken:
2 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced into thin strips
1½ tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. ground smoked paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced

Spicy Cajun Cream Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups heavy cream
¾ cup chicken broth
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup mozzarella, freshly shredded
1 cup sharp cheddar, freshly shredded
¾ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Garnish:
fresh chopped parsley

For the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain, toss lightly with olive oil and set aside so it doesn’t stick.

For the Chicken:
Pat the chicken dry, then season generously with Cajun seasoning, smoked ground paprika, salt and pepper. Press the grated Parmesan onto the chicken pieces to create a light crust.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 1 Tbsp. of butter over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear for about 4-6 minutes, flipping as needed, until the pieces are cooked through and beautifully golden.

Toss in 1 Tbsp. of butter and 3 cloves of the garlic during the last minute of cooking. Stir it around until that garlic gets buttery and fragrant. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.

Make the Spicy Cajun Cream Sauce:
Drop 1 Tbsp. of butter into the same skillet. Add 3 cloves of garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir and bring it to a simmer.

Add the cream cheese and whisk until fully melted and smooth. Slowly stir in the mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Season with Italian seasoning, dried basil and red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Let the sauce simmer for 2-3 more minutes until it thickens.

Add the cooked spaghetti straight into the sauce. Use tongs to toss and coat the pasta in the cheesy Cajun sauce. Let it sit over low heat for another minute to soak up the flavours.

Plate the cheesy spaghetti and top it with the Parmesan chicken strips. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.