One-Pan Cajun Chicken Pasta
The Cheesecake Factory favorite reverse-engineered for macros: blackened cajun chicken, peppers, and penne in a creamy spiced sauce built on milk and a measured amount of light cream cheese instead of a pint of heavy cream. One pan, 535 calories, 48 grams of protein.
Method
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Toss the chicken with two-thirds of the cajun seasoning. Sear hard in the oil in a large deep pan, 3 minutes a side until blackened. Remove.
💡 Tip: Dark edges are correct. That is blackening, not burning. -
Cook the onion and peppers in the same pan for 4 minutes, then the garlic, tomato paste, and remaining seasoning for 1 minute.
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Add the penne, broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 11 to 13 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pasta is just tender.
💡 Tip: The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce as it cooks. One-pan is not a shortcut here, it is the method. -
Off the boil, stir in the cream cheese and parmesan until melted, then return the chicken for 2 minutes.
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Finish with spring onions.
Notes
Check your cajun seasoning for salt. Salt-free blends let you control it; salted ones mean skipping the added salt entirely.
Blacken the chicken hard before the sauce stage. Those spice-crusted edges are the dish.
The cream cheese melts in off the boil so it stays silky.
Restaurant versions of this run 1,500+ calories. This is the same flavor map at a third.
Nutrition Information
| Calories | 540kcal |
| Total Fat | 13g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 56g |
| Protein | 49g |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How is this 535 calories when the restaurant version is 1,500?
Three swaps do all the work: a measured 60g of light cream cheese plus milk instead of heavy cream, one tablespoon of oil instead of a butter saute, and a portion of pasta that is honest instead of a platter. The blackened chicken and the spice profile are untouched.
How spicy does it land?
Medium with most store blends. Cajun seasoning varies wildly, so taste yours; a pinch of cayenne scales it up, and extra milk pulls it back.
Can I use shrimp or sausage?
Both are classic. Shrimp cooks in 4 minutes total and lightens it slightly; sliced chicken sausage adds smoke for roughly 30 extra calories a serving. Half chicken, half shrimp is the restaurant order worth copying.
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