This Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta is a Cheesecake Factory favorite that’s made with juicy chicken, bell peppers, onion, garlic, penne pasta, and a hint of heat from chipotle peppers.
» You might also like this Bang Bang Sauce.
This dish is full of flavor and vibrant colors that will brighten your dinner table. I love ordering this at Cheesecake Factory, because it’s really rich, yet light enough not to feel like a brick in your stomach. All the veggies really brighten it up.
If you want to change it up, you can use different types of pasta, change out the chicken for sausage or go vegetarian. You can add or remove any of the veggies that you like. In our home version, we don’t add the peas that are in the original (not a huge pea fan here!) We also don’t add the honey on top of the chicken, just to reduce the sugar. It’s not missed.
Ingredients Needed
- Olive Oil – You can another type of cooking oil or melted butter as alternatives
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – The Cheesecake Factory version is made with sliced chicken breast, but thighs work well too.
- Yellow and red bell peppers – These add such great crunch and color to the dish.
- Onion – Any type of onion can be used in this recipe. I typically use yellow onion.
- Fresh Asparagus – Thinner asparagus works well because it cooks quicker.
- Penne Pasta – Penne has nice ridges that cling to the sauce. You could use other types of short pasta, if you don’t have penne.
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth – You don’t want to add too much extra salt, so try to use low-sodium.
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce – The peppers pack a ton of heat, so if you want a milder version, only add the sauce, not the peppers. For a more spicy version, chop and add a whole chile.
- Heavy Cream – The heavy cream makes it rich and creamy. It’s not quite as good with half and half, but it can be done, if you really need to cut down the fat.
- Parmesan Cheese – Use a freshly grated cheese for the best flavor.
- Lemon Juice – A spritz of fresh lemon juice brightens up the pasta at the end.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper – To taste
Helpful Tips
- Cook the pasta only to al dente and drain it under cold water to stop the cooking process. This will ensure that the pasta stays firm while it waits to be put back into the pan. It will continue cooking a bit once added to the pan.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining. It can be used to adjust the sauce consistency if needed. Instead of adding more heavy cream, you can add some pasta water to make a creamy sauce.
- Feel free to double the recipe if you’re serving a larger group or want leftovers for future meals.
- If you don’t have chipotle peppers in adobo sauce you can replace it with chipotle powder, just be careful as you add it because it’s very spicy, so a little bit goes a long ways.
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Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 pound (227 g) boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 small yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 small red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup (40 g) yellow onion chopped
- 4 ounces (113 g) penne pasta cooked and drained according to package instructions
- 1-2 tablespoons (15 ml) sauce from chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (33 g) parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper
- 6 fresh asparagus spears chopped
Instructions
- Add half the oil to a large pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and saute until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cut into bite sized pieces.
- In the same pan, add the rest of the oil, then add the peppers and onion. Saute over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked and drained penne to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the chipotle sauce, heavy cream, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken back to the pan along with the chopped asparagus. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the asparagus is tender.
Notes
- Chipotle sauce is quite spicy. If you want it mild, only add 1 tablespoon. For more spice, add more sauce and peppers.
Nutrition
Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
Love Love Love the way this turns out!!!
Absolutely delicious!!!
I saw your comment about not adding peas, I’m not a fan either. In my opinion it doesn’t need them. This recipe was delicious.
So happy you liked it!
I love Cheesecake Factory so I definitley had to try this recipe. It came out great.
Happy to hear that!
I have chipotle peppers and sauce left over. I can’t wait to make this again.
So happy that you liked it!