Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta

How This Version Stays Balanced

• Salt-free Cajun seasoning. Andouille and parmesan are already salty, so a salt-free blend lets you add salt separately and only if it needs it.
• Two tablespoons of flour. A quick roux keeps the cream sauce thick and silky instead of thin and watery.
• One skillet for everything. Chicken, sausage, and vegetables each leave browned bits behind, and those become the base of the sauce.
• Parmesan off the heat. It melts smoothly instead of clumping and turning grainy.

What You'll Need

• Boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Thighs stay juicier.
• Andouille sausage. Smoky and spicy. Smoked sausage or kielbasa is milder.
• Cajun seasoning. Salt-free or low-sodium. A homemade mix is in the questions below.
• Bell pepper, onion, and garlic. The flavor base.
• Flour, low-sodium chicken broth, and heavy cream. Half-and-half makes a lighter sauce.
• Parmesan. Finely grated, for richness and body.
• Penne. Tubes hold the thick sauce. Rigatoni or fettuccine also work.

Picking Your Sausage and Seasoning

Most andouille and smoked sausage sold in the U.S. is already fully cooked, so it only needs browning. If yours is fresh (raw), cook it through to 160°F. For seasoning, check the label: when salt is the first ingredient, use half the amount and skip the added salt.

How to Make It

Boil the penne in salted water until al dente, save 1 cup of pasta water, and drain it well. Toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the Cajun seasoning and the salt. Sear it in oil in a deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, until browned and 165°F inside, then move it to a plate.

Brown the sausage coins in the same pan for 3–4 minutes and add them to the plate. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat. Soften the pepper and onion for 4–5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and the rest of the seasoning for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir for a minute. Whisk in the broth, scraping up the browned bits, then the cream. Simmer 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the sauce coats a spoon. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the parmesan until smooth, and taste before adding any salt. Toss in the pasta, chicken, and sausage, loosen with pasta water as needed, and top with green onions.

Troubleshooting

• Watery sauce. It wasn't thickened or simmered long enough, or the pasta was wet. Simmer until it coats a spoon and drain the pasta well.
• Too salty. Regular Cajun blends are mostly salt. Use salt-free seasoning and low-sodium broth.
• Too spicy. Use smoked sausage, halve the seasoning, or pass hot sauce at the table.
• Grainy sauce. The parmesan went in over high heat. Always add it off the burner.
• Bland. The browned bits weren't scraped up, or the chicken went in unseasoned.

Variations

• Shrimp. Swap the chicken for 1 pound peeled shrimp, seared 1–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque.
• Creole-style. Add a can of drained diced tomatoes with the broth.
• Lighter. Use half-and-half, cut the sausage to 6 ounces, and wilt in a few handfuls of spinach.
• Cajun alfredo. Skip the peppers and onion and add another ½ cup parmesan.

Storing and Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3–4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of milk or broth, stirring until creamy and hot through. High heat can make the sauce separate. Cream sauces can turn grainy after freezing; if you do freeze it, use a freezer-safe container, eat it within 2 months, and stir in milk while reheating.

What to Serve With It

A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, garlic bread, or roasted green beans cut the richness. If you like this kind of weeknight pasta, crockpot chicken spaghetti is the milder, hands-off option and marry me chicken pasta bake is the baked, cheesy one. For something lighter, shrimp scampi without wine keeps to garlic and lemon, and these rigatoni pasta recipes have more shapes to try.

Cook's Tips

• Don't crowd the chicken. Sear in two batches if needed so it browns instead of steaming.
• Grate the parmesan finely. Pre-shredded parmesan has anti-caking agents that melt poorly.
• Save more pasta water than you think. The sauce thickens as it sits.
• Slice the sausage on a slight angle. More surface means more browning.