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A white bowl full of creamy penne pasta coated in a chipotle cream sauce and mixed with chicken and asparagus.

Spicy Chicken Pasta with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Sara
A small batch recipe for spicy, creamy chipotle chicken pasta with asparagus.
4.88 from 39 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings
Calories 407 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 8 oz. boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs* (or Chicken Breasts*)
  • Salt + cracked Black Pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. ground Cumin
  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 3/4 cup Half and Half (or Heavy Cream)
  • 2 Garlic Cloves**
  • 1 large Chipotle Pepper (or two small peppers)
  • 1 tsp. Adobo Sauce (from the chipotle pepper can)
  • 1 tsp. Honey
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion (or white onion)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped Yellow Bell Pepper***
  • 1/2 cup chopped Asparagus Spears****
  • 8 oz. dried Penne Pasta
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup reserved Pasta Water
  • chopped Green Onion for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) all over with a good pinch of salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Set the chicken aside for now.
  • Make Spicy Chipotle Cream Sauce: Combine half and half, garlic cloves, honey, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce from the canned chipotles, and a pinch of salt in a small blender or food processor. Blend until totally combined, then set aside.
    A creamy chipotle sauce resting in a small food processor.
  • Cook Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until cooked through and the internal temperature registers 165 F. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and cover with foil.
    A large non-stick pan with two cooked chicken thighs resting in it.
  • Cook Veggies: In the same pan the chicken was cooked in, add the chopped yellow bell peppers and chopped onions with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened, stirring every now and then to incorporate any browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the vegetables as they cook.
    A large non-stick pan full of cooked onions, peppers, and asparagus with a wooden spoon stirring them together.
  • Boil Pasta in a Separate Pot: At this time, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pour in the dried noodles, stir them around, and cook according to package instructions, minus about one minute for al dente pasta.
  • Add Asparagus: Once the peppers and onions are mostly softened, toss the chopped asparagus into the pan with them. Cook, stirring every so often, for 3-4 minutes until the asparagus begins to soften.****
    A large non-stick pan full of cooked onions and peppers with a small white bowl full of chopped asparagus being added to the pan.
  • Add Chipotle Cream Sauce to Veggies: Pour the chipotle cream sauce into the pan with the vegetables. Stir to mix in the vegetables, then cook for about 5-6 minutes (while the pasta finishes boiling) until the cream sauce has thickened. While the cream sauce cooks, cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
    A large pan full of cooked onions, peppers, and asparagus with a vessel of creamy chipotle sauce being poured into the pan.
  • Toss Pasta with Sauce: Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the cream sauce and stir to coat the noodles completely with sauce.
    Cooked penne pasta noodles being dumped into a large pan full of creamy chipotle sauce.
  • Add Chicken, Cheese, and Flavor: Add the chopped chicken, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir to thoroughly combine all ingredients and coat the noodles and chicken with chipotle cream sauce. Add about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water and stir to mix it in. To make the sauce creamier, stir in more pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
    Cooked, cubed chicken being added to a pot of creamy chipotle penne pasta topped with grated parmesan cheese.
  • Garnish and Serve: Serve hot and garnish with chopped green onions and more parmesan cheese.
    A large spoonful of creamy chipotle chicken pasta hovering over a large pan full of the pasta.

Notes

*Usually two large chicken thighs or three smaller ones. For chicken breast, usually one large breast.
**No fresh garlic? Use 1/2 tsp. garlic powder instead!
***Red, green, or orange bell pepper are all great substitutes for yellow bell pepper in this recipe.
****The cooking times in this recipe are for thick asparagus stalks (just under 1/2" thick). If you have skinny asparagus stalks, reduce the cooking time by two minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 407kcal
Keyword chipotle chicken pasta recipe
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