This Cajun Chicken Pasta ticks ALL the boxes: quick, easy, delicious and slimming friendly! A simple chicken pasta recipe that the whole family will love - on the table in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken Pasta Recipe, Creamy Chicken Pasta, Slimming World Chicken Pasta, Syn Free Pasta Recipe
450g| 1 pound skinless chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs
3garlic cloves, minced
1onion, diced
400g| 14oz tinned chopped tomatoes(canned chopped / crushed tomatoes) in their juice
200g| 7oz butternut squash cut into small cubes
225g| ½ pound dried penne pasta or similar pasta shapes
620ml| 2 ½ cups chicken stock(broth) using a stock cube or canned
3tbspquark cheese for Slimming World versionor cream cheese / heavy cream
3tbspgrated Parmesan cheese(Healthy Extra) plus extra to serve
Small bunch fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to seasonto taste
Instructions
Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and put in a bowl. Add the Cajun seasoning, garlic granules and salt and mix together.
Spray a large non-stick lidded pan with low calorie cooking spray. Add the chicken and pan fry over medium-high heat until lightly coloured. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through at this point.
Add the minced garlic and onions to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add the butternut squash and chopped tomatoes, stirring to combine.
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
Add the pasta and partially cover the pan, bringing to a boil.
Set a timer for 12 minutes (or however long your pasta needs to cook) and continue to cook, stirring every couple of minutes. Cook until the pasta is cooked and liquid is slightly reduced. Check the squash is cooked through as well.
Lower the heat and stir in the quark cheese.
Add the grated parmesan and basil and stir to combine.
Check the seasoning and add salt (if needed) and freshly ground pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Turn this recipe into a Chicken Pasta BakeA great way to use up leftovers - if you happen to have any… Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Put the leftovers in a ceramic ovenproof dish, adding a little water or chicken stock. Top with a little extra grated cheese - such as reduced fat mozzarella or cheddar and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden and pasta is heated through.Calories in Cajun Chicken PastaA serving of this recipe is just under 500 calories and 13 SmartPoints on WeightWatchers. This recipe is Syn Free on Slimming World, using some of your Healthy Extra A options for the Parmesan Cheese (you can leave this out if preferred).
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Please note I am not affiliated in any way with Slimming World or Weight Watchers. Syn values and SmartPoints are based on online calculators.
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Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.