Tender chicken, smoky sausage, and bell peppers come together in a creamy Cajun Alfredo sauce with a hint of white wine. This easy one-pot Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta is packed with bold flavor and ready in less than 30 minutes!
This colorful pasta meal is one of the easiest one-pot dishes I’ve ever made. It’s literally a dump everything in the pot and pour the wine kind of meal. It even gives you an excuse to pick up a nice bottle of Chardonnay and pop it open while you’re cooking, since a splash of it goes right into the pot with all the other ingredients.
Dry pasta cooks right in the seasoned broth and wine, soaking up all that bold Cajun flavor. It’s creamy, smoky, and just a little spicy, but the easy, cheesy Alfredo sauce balances it all perfectly.
This recipe comes from the cookbook, The Simple Kitchen – Quick and Easy Recipes Bursting with Flavor by Donna and Chad Elick of The Slow Roasted Italian. It’s just one of many easy, flavor-packed dinner ideas you’ll find in the book.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces so it cooks quickly and evenly. Lean chicken breast is a better companion to the rich cream sauce than chicken thighs.
- Smoked sausage: Andouille is a spicy sausage that adds classic Cajun flavor and a touch of heat, but any good-quality smoked sausage works well here.
- Campanelle pasta: Campanelle has a cone shape and pretty ruffled edges that hold on to sauce beautifully. It stands up well to the hearty ingredients in this dish and works perfectly with the creamy Cajun sauce. If you can’t find campanelle, try penne, rotini, or cavatappi — any short pasta with ridges or curves that can catch the sauce works well.
- Bell peppers: Use assorted colors for a vibrant look and flavor contrast — I used red and green. Slice them into thin strips so they cook evenly and blend into the sauce.
- White wine: Choose a dry white like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. It adds a subtle acidity that balances the richness of the Alfredo sauce.
- Cajun seasoning mix: A flavorful blend of common pantry spices that brings smoky heat to the dish. You can use your favorite store-bought mix, make Donna’s homemade version below, or try my Cajun Seasoning Mix — it works beautifully in this recipe.
- Dairy: Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and heavy cream create the rich, silky Alfredo-style sauce that ties the whole dish together. The Parmesan melts right into the pasta, and the cream gives it that smooth, velvety texture.
Kitchen Tip
You can easily control the spice level of this dish by using regular smoked sausage, instead of andouille, and reducing the amount of cayenne pepper in the Cajun seasoning mix.
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
- Add everything to the pot: Combine the chicken, sausage, bell peppers, onion, pasta, chicken broth, wine, and Cajun seasoning mix in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Stir to combine, cover, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the cover and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking.
- Add the cheese: Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan.
- Combine: Stir the pasta well until the cheese is melted and smooth.
- Add the cream and finish: Add the cream and stir to combine. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve straight from the pot.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills, so stir in a splash of milk, cream, or chicken broth when reheating to loosen it up. Because of the creamy sauce, this pasta isn’t ideal for freezing — the texture can separate when thawed. It’s best enjoyed fresh or reheated from the fridge within a few days.
Reheat: Warm individual portions gently in the microwave or in a covered skillet over low heat, adding a bit of liquid to help bring the sauce back to life.
More Easy One Pot Pasta Recipes
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Chicken and Spinach Skillet Pasta
- Meaty Tortellini Skillet
- Skillet Sausage Pasta
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Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 14 ounces hot smoked sausage, like andouille, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced (I used red and green)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 pound campanelle pasta, uncooked
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine, like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning mix, recipe below
- 1½ cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian Parsley
Donna’s Cajun Spice Mix
- 1¼ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Combine all Cajun Spice Mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the chicken, sausage, peppers, onion, pasta, chicken broth, wine, and Cajun seasoning mix in a Dutch oven or 12-inch braising pan. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove the cover and cook until the pasta is al dente (has a bite to it), 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking.
- Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into the pasta. Add the cream and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Slightly adapted from The Simple Kitchen cookbook.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes
If I can’t have heavy cream, is there something I can use as a substitute like maybe canned milk or regular milk thickened with a little cornstarch or what can you suggest?
Evaporated milk would work or whole milk with a little butter added might give you a similar richness. Hope this helps!
Since I’m unable to have the wine can I just increase the chicken broth to 5 cups?
Hi Julie. Yes, you can definitely go with broth and omit the wine if that is preferred.
This looks amazingly delicious, Valerie… and one pot and under 30 minutes makes it even BETTER! 🙂
It was seriously the easiest one-pot meal I’ve ever made. Thanks, Amy!