This veggie creamy cajun pasta is rich, flavourful and served with crispy vegan chicken. The creamy sauce is seasoned with a cajun spice mix and is packed with sweet cherry tomatoes. The pasta is topped with a crispy fillet of vegan chicken which tastes amazing with the spicy sauce.
If you’ve missed eating cajun chicken pasta as a vegetarian then this is the perfect recipe for you!
Why this vegetarian Cajun pasta recipe is the best:
It’s quick – this pasta recipe takes just 25 minutes from start to finish. The pasta and sauce can be ready in the time it takes to cook the vegan chicken fillets.
It’s customisable – There’s lots of different ways to tailor this recipe to your own preferences! Read on to see my list of ways to customise this recipe.
It can be made healthier – this recipe uses double cream this can be replaced with healthier ingredients. Read on to find out how!
How to make cajun pasta: ingredients
This cajun pasta recipe is simple and quick to make. The recipe requires 10 main ingredients, lots of which will already be in your cupboards or fridge:
- Cajun seasoning
- Dried linguine, or your favourite pasta shapes
- 2 vegan fried chicken fillets
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Double cream (heavy cream)
- Vegetarian Italian hard cheese
For the vegan chicken fillet I used VFC original chicken fillets.
How to make cajun pasta sauce
To make Cajun pasta sauce you will need to fry onions, cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil and butter with cajun seasoning. Next You will add in double cream and vegetarian Italian hard cheese. You will need to use some pasta water to make this sauce smooth and glossy. For this recipe you can either use the herbs and spices listed, or replace these with 2.5 teaspoons of cajun seasoning.
To make the cajun seasoning myself I combined:
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- generous pinch salt
What to serve with cajun pasta
I chose to make my creamy cajun pasta with cherry tomatoes and vegan fried chicken. However, there are plenty of other vegetarian ingredients you could enjoy with your pasta:
Vegetarian cajun sausage pasta – Simply cook some vegetarian sausages according to package instructions, slice up and stir through your pasta sauce! Why not try a chorizo-style veggie sausages for extra flavour?
Cajun pasta with peppers – the flavours of cajun pasta would go really well with some stir fried peppers. Thinly slice your favourite peppers and add them in at the same time as, or in place of, the cherry tomatoes. Why not use red, yellow and green peppers to give your pasta a rainbow of colours?
Spicy cajun pasta – this recipe is already spiced with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. However, if you like it really spicy you could add in some fresh sliced chilli peppers or dried chilli flakes for an extra kick!
Cajun pasta with cream cheese – for a slightly healthier cajun pasta you can replace the double cream with 100g of cream cheese and 50ml of milk.
Vegan cajun pasta – to make this dish vegan replace the butter with more olive oil and replace the cream with dairy-free double cream. I like to use the Oatly version. Either omit the cheese or replace it with grated vegan Parmesan-style cheese.
Veggie creamy Cajun pasta: similar recipes
If you liked this recipe then take a look at my other pasta recipes:
Veggie Creamy Cajun Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the dried herbs, spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
- Cook the vegan chicken according to packet instructions.
- Whilst the vegan chicken is cooking, heat the oil and butter over a low heat in a large frying pan. Once the butter has melted fry the onion until starting to soften, around 2 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to medium and add in the halved cherry tomatoes. Fry for 8 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Half way through cooking the tomatoes, add your dried pasta into the boiling water.
- Add in garlic and spices to the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low and fry for 2 minutes
- Stir through the cream, 60ml pasta water and vegetarian Italian hard cheese until combined. Simmer gently for 30 seconds and take off the heat.
- Once the pasta is al dente use tongs to add it it to the creamy sauce. Toss to coat in the sauce. Add extra pasta water if necessary to create a smooth, glossy sauce.
- Slice up the vegan chicken. Serve the pasta in 2 large bowls topped with a vegan chicken fillet each, some fresh herbs and extra cheese.
Amazing idea, delicious