Southwestern Chicken Pasta

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Pasta

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pasta, preferably a short pasta like penne or radiatori like I used
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1 chipotle chili, finely chopped (optional!)
  • 4 ounces white cheddar cheese
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  • Salt & pepper

Directions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package direction. Reserve at least a ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
  2. While the pasta is boiling, heat a grill pan over medium high heat (or an outside grill to 400 degrees). Grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165 degrees). Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest. Once it’s rested a couple minutes cut it into bite sized pieces and set it aside
  3. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the chopped onion, garlic and corn. Cook until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock and simmer for another 2-3 minutes before adding the cream and a couple tablespoons of the starchy pasta water. Add the adobo sauce (and chopped up pepper, if you’re using it) and stir everything together. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it thicken for a few minutes until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add some salt and pepper (about ¼-1/2 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper). Add the cheddar cheese and stir until it’s melted and the sauce is smooth.
  4. Add the chicken, tomatoes, cilantro and cooked pasta to the pan and toss it all together in the sauce.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back