Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta with chicken, sausage and shrimp and all the delicious deep Louisiana flavor in just 30 minutes!
This Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta is made with a pre-made cajun spice but I used my own homemade version which I’ve detailed below. Want something with a bit of a kick? Add double the cayenne pepper.
Some tips about this Cajun Jambalaya Pasta:
- Want to make this into a creamy jambalaya pasta? Add a 1/2 a cup of heavy cream in after your chicken stock.
- You don’t need to use Zatarain’s to make a quick jambalaya and those boxes of dinner kits are not going to have half the flavor of making it yourself. Want a shortcut, buy some cajun seasoning and you’re 75% of the way there already.
- This recipe is based on a recipe from The Cheesecake Factory Cajun Jambalaya Pasta with some alterations made to make it easier and quicker.
So if you’re craving easy jambalaya pasta (also known as pastalaya) you won’t regret this dish, its a breeze to make and if you’re looking to make your own cajun seasoning I’ve listed my blend below:
Homemade cajun seasoning (triple this for the recipe):
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
Looking for more delicious Pasta recipes?
- Cheesecake Factory Louisiana Chicken Pasta (Copycat)
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake
- CPK Thai Peanut Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Tequila Fettuccine (CPK Copycat)
Tools Used in the making of this Cajun Jambalaya Pasta:
Cast Iron Skillet: This is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
Cajun Seasoning: If you want to grab a jar and skip the homemade blend.
Chef’s Knife: This knife is one of the three most used tools in my kitchen.
Tongs: are great for tossing all the spices with the ingredients and getting them in and out of the pan.
Easy Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast cut into 1? pieces
- 1/2 pound shrimp deveined
- 1/2 pound andouille sausage sliced into 1/2? thick pieces
- 3 tablespoons Cajun spice blend
- 1/2 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red onion thinly diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium tomato diced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound fettucine pasta cooked but not rinsed
- parsley and leftover minced bell peppers for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the chicken, shrimp, sausage, cajun spices, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, garlic, Kosher salt and black pepper in a bowl and toss.
- In a large skillet or a cast iron skillet add the canola oil on high heat.
In two batches sear off the ingredients until they're cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan with all the cooked ingredients.
- Cook for a minute or two then add in the cooked pasta and using tongs coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and leftover minced bell peppers if desired.
Recipe Notes
If you are nervous about overcooking your shrimp, after adding the spices pull them out to a separate bowl. Then once the other ingredients are done cooking add it to the pan to cook through.
This recipe was so good! I did modify some things; added corn starch, heavy cream, and reduced Cajun spice to 2 Tbs. my husband LOVED it which was great, because he loves Cajun food. I liked a lot, as well.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
You’re welcome, Jackalyn.
I just made this last night, it was very delicious. I modified a couple things out of necessity – used a yellow onion instead of red, used a while yellow pepper and half a red because I didn’t have a green one, and I omitted the chicken since I didnt have any.
The sauce coated the pasta nicely and it was decently spicy without being overwhelming. I would highly recommend!
These were pretty vague instructions. Completely ruined my kitchen. If you could be more clear with the step to step process that would be great cause this looks very yummy.
My family loved this! We like our pasta with a lot of sauce, so I only used 1/2 pound of pasta, and I added 1 TBSP of corn starch to thicken the sauce. It was delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Super easy! Prepping the protein and veggies is the most time consuming part. My family loved it. It also makes a huge portion!
I have been looking at this recipe for the past couple of years tossing back and forth if I wanted to attempt to make it and how would it come out. Last night, I threw caution to the wind and made it. OMG Sabrina, my family thanks you for this. Came out amazing I did add heavy cream and cornstarch to thicken and the sauce it created was just pure heaven. I will definitely put this in my dinner rotation. The only thing I would do different will be to cut down the amount of Cajun spice I use to about 2 tablespoons. Thank you so much.
Yay! I’m so glad you finally decided to give it a try.
This was absolutely delicious! My husband and I are making all of our favorite meals for our anniversary week and pasta jambalaya was a biggie for us because we met on a trail crew and ate a lot of Zatarain’s. They discontinued their pasta version, but I stumbled upon this recipe and we were both blown away.
I used a can of diced tomatoes because it was all we had and did end up adding a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it at the end as my sauce was a little thin due to this, but wow. Amazing flavor and combo of ingredients, and easy to whip up as well. Can’t wait to make it again (and again and again) for the rest of my family!
I’ve made this twice and loved it both times. I like spicy seasonings so I added extra cayenne. Came out great!
Oh my! This was delicious! I worked at the Cheesecake factory 20 years ago and this was my all-time fav of theirs. I never dreamed of making it myself. I followed the directions to the letter, and added the half cup cream. My only suggestion, as others have noted, the sauce was a little thin, so I added a tablespoon of cornstarch while cooking and it thickened up perfectly. MANY thanks for sharing such an amazing dish!
I’m so glad you decided to give it a try, Michelle!
Can you use a can of diced tomatoes in this recipe?
Sure 🙂
This was awesome! A little too spicy for my kids, can I use coconut milk to make it less spicy?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. You can add coconut milk or even cut back on the cajun spice blend. Hope this helps for next time.
This is my favorite “go to” recipe. My family and I ate at a restaurant called Yard House in Atlantic Station, that had a similar recipe. The waitress suggested to order pasta instead of rice and it was wonderful. This recipe is perfect Sabrina ! Thank you for sharing. God bless!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for coming back and let me know!
This was good but spicy even with a mild Cajun spice. I removed the sausage then the shrimp and made sure the chicken was done for each batch. I think I will try a little half and half cream next time.
mmm adding cream would be a great addition!
I add alfredo sauce. Super delicious
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I made it for my family and the spice was just perfect and I especially love how the pasta was combined with the sauce! Thank you Sabrina for your fantastic recipe! ?
Please reply, thanks :))
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I made it for my family and the spice was just perfect and I especially love how the pasta was combined with the sauce! Thank you Sabrina for your fantastic recipe! ?
Please reply, thanks :))
Aw Gen, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I agree, the spice and sauce are a perfect blend! Thanks for being a fan and hope to make more recipes to add your favorite list.
Best,
Sabrina
Made this once with the pasta but would like to try with rice but not sure how much I should do you have suggestions?
I would suggest adding in the cooked rice as you did with the cooked pasta or you could even just spoon this over a plate of rice. Enjoy!