Dairy free and gluten free, this creamy cajun chicken pasta is a lightened up version of a comfort food classic! A cozy recipe that’s perfect for any night of the week that’s wholesome and full of zesty Cajun flavor. Gluten free, dairy free, vegan option.
The best dairy free cajun chicken pasta
We love pasta night at our house!
Especially when it’s a flavor packed recipe like this wholesome cajun chicken pasta.
Just like this Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta, it is so comforting, cozy, and delicious – the perfect thing for fall!
Most cajun chicken pasta recipes are made using dairy, but this recipe is made without cream, cream cheese, or cheese.
And thanks to the addition of a luscious cashew cream sauce, you can still enjoy all the creamy goodness that makes cajun chicken pasta SO tasty.
Why you’ll love this pasta
It is:
- Super flavorful
- Cozy + comforting
- Ultra creamy
- Satisfying
- Dairy free
- Gluten free
- SO good!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Raw cashews – Raw cashews are what you’ll use to make the sauce creamy without adding any dairy. They are blended with the broth and spices to create a smooth, cashew cream pasta sauce.
- Gluten free pasta – Any shape of your favorite pasta will work. This is the gluten free pasta that we used for this recipe.
- Chicken breast – Chicken breast is diced into bite sized pieces and cooked in the skillet until perfectly tender. If you’re vegan or vegetarian feel free to leave it out and add more veggies!
- Onion, bell peppers, and garlic – These add veggies great flavor to the base of the pasta sauce. For some ideas on other veggies you can add check out the section below.
- Tomato paste – Just a little bit is added to deepen the flavors of the pasta sauce.
- Simple Cajun spice blend – For the spice blend you can either use a Cajun seasoning you already have on hand, or make your own blend using the spices outlined in the recipe.
- Broth – Chicken broth or vegetable broth both work to blend with the cashews for the ultra creamy pasta sauce.
- Nutritional yeast – Nutritional yeast adds a convincing “cheesy”, umami rich flavor to the pasta to satisfy everyone at your table. If you’ve never tried it I highly recommend adding it to your pantry!
- Salt and pepper – A bit is added to the sauce before blending, and before serving to taste.
You can find many of the pantry staples for this Cajun pasta on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products store that is like the Whole Foods of Costco but entirely based online and with the BEST wholesale prices.
Is this pasta spicy?
Only if your Cajun seasoning has a kick of heat to it.
I’ve included an optional pinch or two of cayenne in the recipe, but you can omit it if you don’t want any spice!
To make it extra spicy just add a bit more cayenne to the spice blend. You can add as much or as little as you like.
Adding additional veggies
You can easily add more vegetables to this pasta dish!
These would all be great options:
- Spinach – Added just before serving so it can wilt but doesn’t overcook.
- Broccoli – Broccoli florets can be added to the pasta during the last minute or two of cooking, and then added to the skillet with the pasta during step 8.
- Extra bell peppers – Feel free to use a whole red pepper and a whole orange pepper, or even some green peppers if that’s what you like!
- Asparagus – Asparagus cooks pretty fast, so I would suggest adding it raw with the pasta, chicken, and sauce, during step 8.
- Zucchini – Depending on the size of the pieces, zucchini will likely need to cook about the same amount of time as the bell peppers. If using add it to the skillet with the onions, peppers, and garlic during step cups 5.
What does cashew cream taste like in a pasta dish?
Cashew cream has a very neutral, even flavor.
This makes it an excellent substitute for dairy in savory and sweet recipes.
I prefer it over coconut milk to make creamy soups and sauces because it has great texture and can be seasoned however you like.
Some of my favorite cashew cream recipes:
- Dairy Free French Onion Dip
- Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta Sauce
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Creamy Dairy Free Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Soup
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Make Ahead Whole30 Gravy
How to make this creamy cajun chicken pasta
If you soak the cashews ahead of time this recipe comes together super quick! Right around the 30 minute mark. A perfect weeknight comfort food meal!
Here’s the step-by-step
- Before you start cooking soak the cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry you can simmer them on the stove top for 10 minutes before using.
- Start a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for the pasta. Before draining reserve about 3/4 cup cooking water.
- In a small bowl mix together all the dried spices until well combined.
- Cook the chicken with some of the cajun seasoning. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook the veggies with the remaining olive oil until tender.
- Add the spices and tomato paste, and remove the skillet from the heat while you make the cashew cream sauce.
- Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Blend on high for at least a minute – until smooth and creamy, and no pieces of cashews remain.
- Return skillet to the stove top and add cooked pasta, cooked chicken, and the cashew sauce. Bring to a simmer and thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water if needed.
- Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with fresh parsley if desired and serve!
The best gluten free pasta
My all time favorite gluten free pasta is made by Jovial.
Their brown rice penne pasta is what I use in this recipe.
The texture is SPOT ON every time and you’d never know it’s gluten free if you tasted it blindly!
How to keep this pasta nice and creamy
Cashew cream can start to thicken as it sits with the pasta.
To keep it creamy all you need to do is thin the sauce with a little bit of water, nut milk, or broth until desired consistency is reached.
You may want to re-season it with salt and pepper after thinning the sauce.
Re-heating and storage
Refrigerator: This dairy free pasta with chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.
Freezing: I would not recommend freezing this pasta. I haven’t tried it but I think that the texture of the pasta and sauce would not hold up well when thawed.
To re-heat: The cashew cream sauce will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. To re-heat, warm the pasta on low in a skillet or in the microwave, and add water or broth to the sauce a little bit at a time, stirring in between, until desired consistency is reached.
Love this flavorful pasta? Try these other pasta recipes!
- Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Vegan Mexican Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
- Easy Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
- 30 Minute Romesco Pasta
- Cashew Cream Mushroom Kale Pasta
- Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Quick and Easy Pumpkin Ragu
If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
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Cashew Cream Cajun Chicken Pasta – Dairy Free!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Dairy free and gluten free, this creamy cajun chicken pasta is a lightened up version of a comfort food classic! A cozy recipe that’s perfect for any night of the week that’s wholesome and full of zesty Cajun flavor. Gluten free, dairy free, vegan option.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 a large red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 a large yellow or orange pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch or two of cayenne (optional)
- OR
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning instead of onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and thyme
- 1 1/2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable broth both work well
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- Parsley, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Before you start cooking – in a heat proof bowl, cover raw cashews with just boiled water for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry you can simmer the cashews on the stove top for about 10 minutes until they are pale and plump.
- Start a large pot of lightly salted water to boil for the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve about 3/4 cup cooking water. Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together all the dried spices – onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, thyme, and cayenne (if using) until well combined.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breast pieces and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning mix. Cook, turning each piece of chicken so it cooks on both sides, until cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the additional tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the diced onion, bell peppers, and chopped garlic. Sauté veggies for 3-4 minutes – until tender. If the bottom of the skillet gets too dark, add a tablespoon or two of water to release the brown bits and reduce the heat slightly.
- Add the tomato paste and remaining Cajun seasoning. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently, until spices are aromatic and tomato paste has darkened slightly. Remove from the heat while you make the pasta sauce.
- Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, nutritional yeast, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend on high for at least a minute – until super smooth and creamy.
- Return skillet to the stove top over medium low heat. Add cooked pasta, cooked chicken, and the cashew cream sauce. Stir to combine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for a minute or two, until sauce coats the pasta and chicken. As it simmers, add the reserved pasta water a bit at a time to thin the sauce until desired consistency is reached. If you need more liquid or if you didn’t reserve any pasta water you can also use broth or water. The more liquid you add the softer and creamier the sauce will be.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with fresh parsley if desired and serve!
Notes
Refrigerator: This dairy free pasta with chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.
Freezing: I would not recommend freezing this pasta. I haven’t tried it but I think that the texture of the pasta and sauce would not hold up well when re-heated.
To re-heat: The cashew cream sauce will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. To re-heat, warm the pasta on low in a skillet or in the microwave, and add water, unsweetened nut milk, or broth to the sauce a little bit at a time, stirring in between, until desired consistency is reached.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Tara says
Hello! I was wondering if there was an alternative to the cashew cream for making this. I am allergic to nuts and I’m recently dairy free for breastfeeding purposes but would absolutely love to try this! I thank you in advance for your time
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Tara! I haven’t tested this option myself, but you could try using a full fat oat milk or another non dairy creamer that works for your allergy requirements to make the sauce creamy. Oatly’s full fat oat milk is quite creamy and would likely be a good choice. I would suggest using 1 1/2 cups of dairy free milk or creamer, reducing the broth to 1 cup, and making a sauce as written in the recipe with those ingredients + the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. I hope that’s helpful, & I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa