Description
A flavorful and creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe featuring Cajun-spiced chicken, sautéed peppers, and a tangy hot sauce cream sauce. This quick and easy 20-minute meal combines tender chicken, pasta, and a zingy blend of hot sauce, Worcestershire, and parmesan for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Pasta
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pasta shapes (such as penne)
- 3 chicken breasts (chopped into bite-size pieces, about 525 g or 18.5 oz)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp Cajun spice mix
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 chicken stock cube (crumbled)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
Vegetables
- 1 onion (peeled and sliced)
- 1 red pepper (sliced)
- 1 yellow pepper (sliced)
- 2 jalapenos or medium heat green chillies (sliced)
- small bunch spring onions (roughly chopped)
- 1 jalapeno or medium heat green chilli (sliced, for topping)
Sauces and Dairy
- 60 ml hot pepper sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
- 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan cheese (grated)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water for later use.
- Sauté Chicken: While the pasta is cooking, heat sunflower oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken breasts, sprinkle with Cajun spice mix and black pepper, then stir to coat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is sealed on the outside and nearly cooked through.
- Add Stock Cube and Vegetables: Crumble in the chicken stock cube and stir to combine. Add the minced garlic, sliced onion, red and yellow peppers, and sliced jalapenos. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften slightly and vegetables start to tenderize.
- Create Sauce: Stir in the chopped spring onions, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, double cream, and grated parmesan cheese. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing the chicken to fully cook through and the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta to the pan with the chicken and sauce. Stir everything together until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add splashes of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it to your desired consistency.
- Serve: Divide the pasta between serving bowls and top each with additional sliced jalapeno for an extra kick. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- This dish features Cajun-spiced chicken with sautéed peppers in a creamy, tangy hot sauce, perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
- Adjust the amount of jalapenos or hot sauce to control the heat level to your preference.
- Using reserved pasta water helps to loosen the sauce and bind it nicely to the pasta.
- For a richer sauce, use full-fat double cream and freshly grated parmesan.
- Serve with a simple green salad or garlic bread to complete the meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 693 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1085 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 53 g
- Cholesterol: 154 mg
