This spicy chipotle chicken pasta has a bold, smoky flavor and creamy texture that makes it unforgettable! It combines tender chicken, a creamy chipotle sauce, and fresh veggies with al dente pasta for a satisfying meal with a kick.
The sauce is a creamy mix of Parmesan and spicy adobo which is tempered by a pretty hearty serving of heavy cream. The just barely cooked asparagus and green peas make the dish still feel fresh and the just barely noticeable honey component takes the edge off those chili peppers. It’s a symphony of flavors that come together against all odds for one amazingly delicious dish you just have to try to believe.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Cut your chicken into even 1-inch pieces so that they cook quickly and evenly. You could also do strips that are ½ inch wide.
- Pasta: I used penne pasta but you can also use large shells, farfalle, or other short pasta that will catch that amazing sauce.
- Chicken Seasoning: To help tenderize the chicken and add a punch of flavor that will come together, I used lemon juice. You’ll also want to use salt and pepper.
- Olive Oil and Butter: The veggies get softened in butter first to build some rich flavor. Adding olive oil to the pan to cook the chicken keeps the butter from burning so you get the buttery flavor and a nice sear on the chicken.
- Honey: The quick honey glaze adds a warm sweetness that breaks up the spicy and rich flavors.
- Adobo Peppers in Sauce: I use just the sauce, if you want to kick up the heat even more use just one pepper instead and mash it into a paste before adding it to the sauce.
- Aromatic Veggies: A mix of yellow and red bell peppers plus the onion add a delicious flavorful veggie base. And of course plenty of garlic to really punch up the flavor!
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream makes a rich, silky sauce that just clings to every part of the dish.
- Peas and Asparagus: Quickly blanched asparagus and frozen peas add a crisp freshness to balance the richness and spicy heat of the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Some nutty Parmesan cheese adds saltiness to the sauce and helps thicken it.
- Garnish: Serve this with some tortilla strips and fresh chopped cilantro garnish
Step by Step Instructions
- Blanch Asparagus– Bring a large pot of water to boil. Blanch your asparagus in the water for a couple minutes. Strain (without draining the pot of water) and run under cold water in a colander and transfer to a large bowl.
- Cook Pasta– In the same pot of boiling water, add your pasta. Cook until 1 minute shy of al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Add it to the bowl with the asparagus.
- Marinate Chicken– Add the chicken pieces to separate bowl with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Sauté Onions and Peppers– In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onions and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 60 seconds.
- Cook the Chicken– Transfer the veggie mixture to a plate and in the same skillet add the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Honey Glaze-Stir the honey into the chicken, letting it coat it all over. Cook for a few seconds, not too long, and then add the bell pepper and onion mixture back to the skillet. Stir to coat again.
- Cream Sauce– Add the adobo sauce, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to thicken and absorb the flavors.
- Combine– Stir the pasta, asparagus, and frozen peas into the chicken and sauce. Coat everything really well and heat until the peas are warmed through.
- Garnish and Serve– Remove from the heat and serve immediately. You can garnish it with tortilla strips and chopped cilantro, or other favorite pasta toppings.
Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta with asparagus, peas, and honey glazed chicken in a spicy chipotle parmesan cream sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories: 934kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breast boneless skinless, cut into 1" chunks
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp chipotle pepper sauce from canned adobo peppers
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 pound fresh asparagus the thinner the better
- 6 ounces parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Set your water to boil for your pasta.
- Add the asparagus to the pasta water and boil for 2-3 minutes or until tender crisp.
- Remove asparagus from the boiling water and shock it with cold water through a colander.
- To the same water add the pasta to a minute shy of the directions and drain into the same bowl as the asparagus but don't rinse.
- In a bowl with your chicken add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit as you cook the rest of the dish.
- In a large skillet add the butter and melt over medium heat.
- Add the bell peppers and onions and cook until just transluscent.
- Add in the garlic and cook an extra minute.
- Remove the vegetables and add in the olive oil.
- Add the chicken to the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per each side.
- Add in the honey and stir, cooking an addition 10 seconds
- Add the bell pepper mixture back to the pan.
- Stir well, then add in the adobo sauce, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes then add in the pasta, asparagus and frozen green peas.
- Stir to coat everything and serve with any garnishes you like. I use tortilla strip chips and cilantro.