The Kombuis
One Pot Cajun Ranch Chicken Pasta
Pan-seared chicken with Cajun spice and peppers, tossed through bow-tie pasta in a creamy ranch and parmesan sauce. One pot, 35 minutes, barely any washing up. A good one to keep in the weeknight rotation when you don't feel like cooking anything fancy.
Not every weeknight needs a heritage story behind it. Sometimes you just want something quick, comforting and easy to clean up after a long day in Dubai. This one's from American food blogger Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest, and it's become a regular in plenty of kitchens for good reason.
Ingredients
- 30 ml salted butter
- 450 g boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed
- 30 ml cajun seasoning
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 green bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 450 g pasta
- 125 ml parsley
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 500 ml milk
- 60 g cream cheese
- 125 ml ranch dressing
- 250 ml grated parmesan cheese
Method
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the butter with the chicken and 10 ml of Cajun seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add the onion, poblano peppers (or bell peppers), garlic and 15-20 ml more Cajun seasoning to the same pot. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the pasta, parsley and 500 ml water. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Add more water if needed to keep the pasta from sticking.
- Stir in the milk, cream cheese, ranch dressing and parmesan. Mix until creamy.
- Slide the chicken back into the pot and stir gently to combine.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan and parsley on top.
Notes
- Cook the butter, chicken and Cajun seasoning in a large pot over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add onion, peppers, garlic and more Cajun seasoning to the pot. Cook until soft.
- Add pasta, parsley and water. Cook, stirring often, about 8 minutes until al dente, adding more water if it looks dry.
- Stir in milk, cream cheese, ranch dressing and parmesan until creamy.
- Return the chicken to the pot and stir gently.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan and parsley.
Homemade Cajun seasoning: mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, chilli powder, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Keeps well in a jar for future use.