Wow, let’s talk about fusion! This honey chipotle chicken pasta combines elements of Italian cuisine and Nashville hot honey with flavors from south of the border! Inspired by a famous restaurant, making this colorful dish at home lets me tweak it to our family’s palate. You can make yours spicier by adding more adobo sauce, if you wish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts: 1 piece (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- lemon: 0.5 piece (juiced)
- salt: 0.5 tsp (or as needed)
- black pepper: 0.25 tsp (or as needed, freshly ground)
- penne pasta: 0.5 pound
- asparagus: 1 pound (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- ice water, as needed:
- unsalted butter: 1 Tbsp
- olive oil: 1 Tbsp
- red bell pepper: 0.5 cup (chopped)
- yellow bell pepper: 0.5 cup (chopped)
- onion: 0.5 cup (chopped)
- garlic: 1 Tbsp (minced)
- honey: 3 Tbsp
- 1/2 cups heavy cream: 1 piece
- 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chilies in adobo): 1 piece
- ounces shredded Parmesan cheese: 4 piece
- frozen baby peas: 1 cup (thawed)
- cilantro sprigs: (for garnish, optional)
- corn tortilla chips: 0.33333 cup (for garnish, optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Toss chicken pieces with lemon juice, salt, and black pepper; set aside.
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Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender and still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes, or about 1 minute less than package directions. Use a slotted spoon to remove the penne from the water and set aside.
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To the boiling pasta water, add asparagus and boil until bright green and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove asparagus and immediately place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Add asparagus to the same container as the penne.
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While pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil together in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, until butter stops sizzling.
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Add chopped red pepper, yellow pepper, and onion, and cook, stirring, until onion begins to turn translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove cooked vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
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To the same skillet, add chicken pieces and cook, browning chicken on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in honey, coating all chicken pieces.
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Add bell pepper mixture back to the skillet, and stir well. Mix in adobo sauce, heavy cream, and shredded Parmesan cheese. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add cooked penne and asparagus and frozen green peas. Stir well. Heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to stand, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Garnish with fresh cilantro and corn tortilla chip pieces, and serve warm.
