Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta

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This Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta is comfort food with a kick. This simple dish packs a punch whilst still delivering a creamy comforting dinner.

Tomato cream sauces are always a big hit and this one is perked up with some garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. So easy to make and quick, you can have this dish on the table in just 20 minutes!

The sauce is thick, rich and has the wonderful spicy kick that will make you go back for more.

It pasta time again!!! You knew it was coming, I mean there have been at least 2 recipes since my last pasta dinner! And today we have something so creamy and delicious going on. A spicy creamy dinner that is on the table in under 30 minutes.

This is the perfect sofa dinner, you know the ones, when the new season has just arrived on netflix and you want to binge on the sofa, lifting the spoon/fork to your mouth without having to worry about cutting up your food!

How to make a Creamy Chili Pasta Sauce

The creamy chili sauce starts with a can of chopped tomatoes, which are cooked with red pepper flakes, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to make a rice tomato sauce. Then at the end of cooking some heavy cream is added. This works to mellow out the spices and turns your rich chili tomato sauce into a creamy chili sauce.

Pro Tip: Although heavy cream is pretty robust don’t let it come to a rapid boil as you could cause the creamy red pasta sauce to split. It just needs to simmer gently.

How to cook the chili chicken for the sauce.

The chicken is sprinkled with red pepper flakes and then cooked over high heat so it gets some great color and the charred edges, this adds depth to the sauce. Plus cooking the chicken over a high heat also helps to stop it drying out.

Which chicken to use for pasta sauce?

I use chicken breast for this recipe as it cooks quickly, but this is equally delicious with chicken thighs. They will need further cooking to ensure they are cooked through and juicy. Start the chicken before you put the pasta on and cook for 10 minutes.

I LOVE Spicy Pasta.

If you want to add more heat then you can easily add extra red pepper flakes into the sauce. Start with an extra 1/4 tsp and then taste the sauce. Remember it will be tamed down by the heavy cream.

For even more heat try adding a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to the finished dish.

What to serve with Creamy Chili Chicken Pasta

Side: Serve this Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta with a peppery rocket and parmesan salad. The rocket will compliment the red pepper flakes whilst the parmesan will work well with the cream in the sauce.
Or serve this with fresh warm bread, perfect for mopping up any extra creamy red sauce!

Wine: This chili pasta needs a wine that can stand up to the heat. So go for a medium-dry wine like a Riesling or a Moscato d’Asti. Ideally, serve them well-chilled. For those preferring a red then go for a Barbera or a Zinfandel.

Enjoy x

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Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta

This Creamy Chicken Chili Pasta is comfort food with a kick. This simple dish packs a punch whilst still delivering a creamy comforting dinner. Tomato cream sauces are always a big hit and this one is perked up with some garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. So easy to make and quick, you can have this dish on the table in just 20 minutes! The sauce is thick, rich and has the wonderful spicy kick that will make you go back for more.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4

Calories: 583kcal

Author: Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

For the Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – see note 1
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the pasta and Sauce

• 10 oz pasta rigatoni/penne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 can diced tomato (14.5 oz/400g)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• fresh basil

Instructions

• Cut the chicken up into small bite-sized pieces and season with the red pepper flakes and the olive oil. Set aside.
• Bring a big pan of water to the boil, salt it generously and add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.
• Place a heavy skillet over high heat and once it is hot add the chicken. Cook the chicken quickly until golden brown with the odd charred edge, it doesn’t need to be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the sauce.
• Reduce the heat under the skillet then add the extra oil, brown sugar and the crushed garlic and spinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir well and then pour in the can of diced tomatoes, the dried basil, and additional red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer.
• Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking water and then drain.
• Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and then pour over the heavy cream and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
• Cook the pasta over low heat for a minute or until the cream has heated through. Add extra pasta water if needed.
• Serve garnished with fresh basil

Notes

1. Add an extra 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes if you like it extra spicy.

Nutrition

Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 16.3% | Vitamin C: 14.4% | Calcium: 7.7% | Iron: 14.2%

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