Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
A creamy and spicy pasta dish featuring tender chicken, sautéed peppers, and chipotle sauce, balanced with fresh asparagus and peas for a delicious American fusion dinner.
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large pot for boiling pasta and asparagus
- 1 colander to drain pasta and blanch asparagus
- 1 mixing bowl for marinating chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce from canned adobo peppers
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 pound asparagus thin spears preferred
- 6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
- Optional garnish: fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- Optional garnish: tortilla chip strips
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the asparagus to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Drain asparagus and immediately rinse with cold water to stop cooking, then set aside.
- Cook the penne pasta in the same boiling water just shy of the package directions, then drain and combine with asparagus.
- In a mixing bowl, toss chicken chunks with lemon juice, salt, and pepper; set aside to marinate briefly.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add chopped bell peppers and onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic to the vegetables and cook for 1 additional minute, then remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.
- Add olive oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high.
- Add marinated chicken to the skillet and brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Stir in honey and cook for an additional 5 seconds.
- Return sautéed vegetables to the skillet and stir together.
- Add chipotle pepper sauce, heavy cream, and shredded Parmesan cheese; cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the cooked pasta, asparagus, and frozen peas to the skillet and stir to combine and coat with sauce.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro and tortilla chip strips if desired.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh asparagus and thin spears.
- Adjust chipotle sauce to control heat level.
- Leftovers store well refrigerated for 2-3 days.