Tired of dinner decisions? Enjoy a 14 day trial to our meal plan service, voted #1 by Lifehacker, and reduce your mental load today.

Week of 6/26/23

Creamy Cajun Pasta with Chicken
and bell peppers / spinach

Active: 30 Total: 30
Original GF Paleo Vegetarian
Creamy Cajun Pasta with Chicken

This spicy and creamy pasta is loaded with colorful vegetables. It got great reviews when we last featured it in 2021.
Smarts: The bell peppers are added at the end of cooking so that they retain some crunch. If you’d like them more tender (or if they are in large pieces), you can add them at the beginning of cooking with the garlic.

Tags
Quick and Easy
Proteins
Chicken, non-ground
Cuisines
American
Save recipe
85

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Jerk Chicken:
  • Jerk or Cajun seasoning - 1 Tbsp
  • Brown sugar - 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon, ground - 1/2 tsp
  • Tamari - 1 Tbsp
  • Vinegar, red or white wine - 1 Tbsp
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
  • Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb , halved to thin
Creamy Cajun Pasta:
  • Pasta, any fun gluten-free shape like fusilli or bowties - 8 oz
  • Bell peppers, any color - 2 , diced
  • Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
  • Green onions - 2 , chopped, green and white parts separate
  • Limes - 1 , wedges
  • Tomatoes, diced and preferably fire-roasted (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can , drained
  • Butter - 3 Tbsp
  • Flour, any gluten-free - 2 Tbsp
  • Milk - 1 1/2 cups (sub stock but the sauce will be less creamy)
  • Jerk or Cajun seasoning - 2 tsp
  • Baby spinach - 5 oz

Prep

  1. Make marinade - Whisk together Jerk seasoning (portion for chicken), brown sugar, cinnamon, Tamari, vinegar, and cooking oil. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  2. Chicken - Slice in half to thin. Combine with marinade. Tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

  3. Pasta - Cook pasta according to package directions. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  4. Bell peppers / Garlic - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

  5. Green onions / Limes - Chop green onions, keeping green and white parts separate. Slice limes into wedges.

  6. Tomatoes - Drain well.

Unlock this meal along with hundreds of smart meal plans and never stress about "What's for dinner?" again

Try for free
Learn More

Make

  1. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat. Brush with some cooking oil and add chicken to heated oil (discard marinade). Cook chicken on both sides, seasoning with some salt and pepper as it cooks, until cooked through (165F / 74C degrees).

  2. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice or chop.

  3. Heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. When butter melts, add gluten-free flour, white parts of green onions, and garlic. Saute until no dry spots of flour remain, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring milk to a simmer, whisking constantly. Once mixture is simmering, simmer for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken slightly.

  5. Stir in Jerk seasoning (portion for pasta), drained tomatoes, spinach, and bell peppers and stir until spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes more.

  6. Fold in pasta and green parts of green onions.

  7. Taste pasta and season with some salt and pepper and / or more Jerk seasoning. If you’d like some tart flavor you can squeeze juice from some of the lime wedges into the pasta.

  8. Fold chicken into pasta or serve it on top. Serve pasta with lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!

Reviews

Ratings

0 reviews