Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake

Square overhead shot of a bowl of Cajun chicken pasta.

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5 from 5 votes

This easy Cajun chicken pasta comes together in one dish. You don't even have to boil the noodles first!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword baked cajun chicken pasta, Cajun Chicken Pasta, cajun chicken pasta bake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 496kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, not drained
1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic)
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Optional garnish: fresh parsley and/or sliced green onion, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, whisk together the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder.
Stir in the uncooked pasta, chicken, bell peppers, and onion. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Uncover the dish; gently stir the pasta with a fork. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return it to the oven until the pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
Once the pasta is al dente, sprinkle the cheese over top. Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender, about 5-10 more minutes.
Garnish with parsley or sliced green onion, if desired. Serve.

Notes

This recipe is specifically designed for and tested with rotini pasta. If you don’t have rotini, you can substitute with other short pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.

The total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed. Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.

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