If you’ve been looking for an easy Vegan Cajun Pasta recipe, look no further! Al dente pasta, crispy, golden bites of vegan chicken, and a creamy cajun pasta sauce to meld all the flavors together.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cajun spice blend: Adds bold, spicy, and smoky flavors to the pasta sauce, characteristic of Cajun cuisine. We like to make our own from scratch using a mix of smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and onion powder.
- Pasta: Any regular pasta of choice will work. If you are gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Vegan butter: Used to sauté the aromatics and adds depth of flavor to the pasta sauce. We used salted butter. If you use unsalted vegan butter, add a pinch of salt to taste.
- Vegan chicken: Any vegan chicken strips of choice works well here. Daring Food’s Cajun Plant Chicken Pieces is absolutely perfect here! You can also use soy curls like we did in our Cajun-Style Fettuccine Alfredo recipe or even Crispy Tofu pieces, chickpeas, or a neutral vegan sausage.
- Aromatics: Yellow onion and freshly minced garlic create a flavorful foundation that starts this pasta dish off right!
- Crushed tomatoes: Forms the base of the pasta sauce and adds rich, tangy tomato flavor to the cajun sauce.
- Vegan chicken broth: Enhances the flavor of the vegan chicken and adds additional savory depth of flavor to help meld all the ingredients together. Opt for vegetable broth if vegan chicken broth isn’t available or accessible to you.
- Vegan cream cheese: Adds a rich creaminess that helps to balance the spice of the Cajun seasoning. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought version or try our easy Homemade Vegan Cream Cheese recipe!
- Vegan parmesan cheese: Adds an additional cheesiness and an umami boost. Again, feel free to use your favorite store-bought parmesan or make our Homemade Vegan Parmesan cheese recipe.
- Fresh parsley: Adds a fresh pop of color that brightens the dish and balances the creamy pasta and heat in the cajun spices.
- Lemon juice: Similar to the parsley, freshly squeezed lemon juice adds acidity and brightness that balances the creaminess in the pasta sauce.
How to Make Vegan Cajun Pasta with Chicken
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sear the vegan chicken. Heat the vegan butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegan chicken and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The amount of time this takes will depend on the brand of vegan chicken you use.
- Season with cajun spice mix. Once the chicken is golden brown, add 2 teaspoons of the cajun seasoning and cook for another minute. Remove from the pot and set aside. If the vegan is in larger pieces, chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, another 1-2 minutes.
- Add liquids. Add the crushed tomatoes, vegan chicken broth, and remaining cajun seasoning. Stir together, and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Add vegan cheese. Add the vegan cream cheese and vegan parmesan cheese and stir together until the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add pasta and chicken. Add the cooked pasta and bite-sized vegan chicken pieces. Mix together to combine. Add the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Season and serve. Finish with fresh parsley and lemon juice and stir to combine. Serve immediately with more fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Find the full printable recipe here: Creamy Vegan Cajun Pasta with Chick’n
