Creamy Chipotle Pasta with Pan-Seared Chicken

6 Shares
0
0
6
0
0

This recipe was a point of debate in the household, because Alex thought it was the spiciest thing I’ve ever made (I’ve adjusted the ratios down below accordingly), but I thoroughly disagreed. To settle the score, I sent a Tupperware of leftovers to work with him the next day for a coworker to once ate a full teaspoon of Mad Dog 357 at a dinner party, but I didn’t get a straight answer back… which leads me to believe I was correct. In any case, this was a delicious and fun meal to make, and it was nice to have something new for dinner!

This recipe makes four servings.

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
  • 1 package (about 1lb) dried pasta
  • 3-5 canned chipotle peppers (depending on your desired spice)
  • 3 tbsp adobo sauce (from can)
  • 4oz (about ½ block) cream cheese
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp light oil
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Toss chicken things with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
  3. In a large skillet, add light oil and rotate to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium-high to high, and add chicken thighs. 
  4. Sear chicken thighs for 4 minutes on each side, and remove from pan. (NOTE: They don’t have to be cooked all the way through; we just want them to form a nice brown crust on the outside.)
  5. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Lower skillet heat to medium-low.
  6. Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cream cheese, water, honey, garlic, and lime zest to a blender or food processor (NOTE: If you don’t have a food processor, just chop everything up really small and you should be good.). Pulse until a smooth sauce has formed. 
  7. Add chipotle sauce to still-hot pan and bring to a simmer. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes. 
  8. Return chicken to the pan, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken has fully cooked through. 
  9. Remove pan from heat and stir in Greek yogurt and lime juice until completely combined.
  10.  Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

This recipe keeps in the fridge for up to three days, and reheats very well in the microwave. If it’s still too spicy for you, either lower the number of chipotle peppers or add additional lime juice to your pasta–the acid helps cut through the heat very nicely. 

Creamy Chipotle Pasta with Pan-Seared Chicken

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Mexican
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4-6 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
  • 1 lb dried pasta
  • 3-5 canned chipotle peppers
  • 3 tbsp adobo sauce from can
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp light oil
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
  • Toss chicken things with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
  • In a large skillet, add light oil and rotate to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium-high to high, and add chicken thighs.
  • Sear chicken thighs for 4 minutes on each side, and remove from pan.*
  • Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Lower skillet heat to medium-low.
  • Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cream cheese, water, honey, garlic, and lime zest to a blender or food processor**. Pulse until a smooth sauce has formed.
  • Add chipotle sauce to still-hot pan and bring to a simmer. Stir gently for 1-2 minutes.
  • Return chicken to the pan, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until chicken has fully cooked through.
  • Remove pan from heat and stir in Greek yogurt and lime juice until completely combined.
  • Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Top with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Notes

  • * They don’t have to be cooked all the way through; we just want them to form a nice brown crust on the outside.
  • ** If you don’t have a food processor, just chop everything up really small and you should be good.
6 Shares
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




You May Also Like