Banza Cajun Chicken Chickpea Pasta Recipe (gluten-free)

Enjoy the robust spices and flavors you’d expect with Cajun Chicken Pasta with gluten-free chickpea noodles. A delicious creamy Cajun sauce combined with seasoned chicken sliced peppers, onions, fresh parsley, tomatoes, and Banza chickpea linguine.

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Spice up pasta night with this flavorful gluten-free linguine recipe the whole family will love. You can control the spiciness of the dish with how much or little Cajun seasoning you use. This recipe keeps the kids in mind and can be spiced up at the end for the adults.

This Cajun Chicken Pasta dish was inspired by my other Banza chickpea pasta recipes. Banza Chickpea Pasta Bake, & Banza Penne & Italian Meatballs. You’ll also love How to Cook Banza Chickpea Spaghetti & How to Cook Banza in the Instant Pot. This delicious dish comes together using mostly pantry staples and spices you probably have on hand.

Cajun Chicken Pasta Ingredients

• Butter
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Cajun Spice Mix
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Red Bell Pepper
• Yellow Bell Pepper
• Medium Yellow Onion
• Minced Garlic
• Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• Dry Cooking Sherry
• Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch
• Heavy Cream
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Banza Fettuccine Chickepea Pasta
• Fresh Tomatoes Or Canned Diced Tomatoes
• Fresh Parsley
• Parmesan Cheese

See the recipe card for quantities.

Let’s Make Gluten-Free Cajun Chicken Pasta

To start cut the chicken breast into cubes and heat a tablespoon of butter in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven. Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning, granulated garlic, and onion powder. Cook chicken fully until no longer pink. Remove the chicken to a plate and set it aside.

Bring about 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Add to the boiling water the EVOO then add the entire box of Banza linguine pasta. Prepare the gluten-free pasta according to the package directions for al dente pasta or for approximately 7-8 minutes. Rinse the cooked pasta quickly with cool water to remove the foamy pasta water.

Now, turn the heat up to medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted add sliced peppers, onions, and minced garlic.

Next, sauté the veggies in a hot skillet for 2-3 minutes and remove them to the plate with the chicken.

Add the chicken broth and deglaze the bottom of the skillet.

Add the heavy cream, dry sherry, and arrowroot powder slurry, and bring the sauce to a simmer over low-medium heat. Season with sea salt and black pepper and additional Cajun seasoning if desired.

Continue to stir the sauce and scrape the bottom of the skillet while it thickens up. Taste test the sauce and add spices as needed.

When the creamy pasta sauce has reached the desired thickness add cooked Banza chickpea pasta, chicken, and veggies back to the skillet.

Top off the dish with the tomatoes and toss to combine all of the ingredients with the creamy sauce.

Season this hearty pasta dish with additional Cajun seasoning for spice lovers if desired and serve with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese on top.

Substitutions

Onion – instead of yellow onion use red onion instead. They have a mild flavor and look so pretty.

Type of Pasta– I recommend linguine, but any cut of gluten-free pasta for this dish. Banza spaghetti or penne work great.

Chicken – substitute with shrimp or scallops or try a combination of all three.

Vegan Chickpea Pasta-Omit the chicken and substitute with more veggies or preferred meat substitute

Variations

• Spicy -this recipe is meant to have some spice, however, you are in full control with how spicy it turns out. Use more or less Cajun spice to fit your taste or substitute with red pepper flakes.
• Kid-friendly – add the additional Cajun seasoning after the kids have been served or add it to each individual plate to customize.
• Regular pasta-If you don’t have any dietary restrictions you don’t need to use gluten-free pasta for this recipe.
• Fresh Herbs-Top the finished dish with your favorite fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh oregano, before serving.

Equipment

A good quality large skillet, I prefer a cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven is perfect for this recipe because when combining all of the ingredients you don’t want all of the delicious ingredients to spill over the edges.

• Large Cast-Iron Skillet
• Wooden Spatula
• Spaghetti Server
• Large Stock Pot

Storage

Store leftover Cajun Chicken Pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The best way to reheat the next day is in the microwave-safe bowl.

Top tip

Don’t overcook the Banza chickpea pasta. Gluten-free pasta tends to fall apart easier and can become mushy if they are overcooked. Because you are adding cooked pasta to a hot skillet with hot ingredients it will continue to cook and could fall apart if it’s overcooked.

Food safety

Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)

Remember not to use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat

Wash hands after touching raw meat

Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods

Never leave cooking food unattended

Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.