Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta
This chicken fajita pasta is creamy and loaded with flavor! Made with seasoned chicken, sizzling fajita veggies, tender pasta, and a delicious sauce made with cream cheese. It comes together in just 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 524kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound farfalle pasta aka bowtie pasta
- 1 pound chicken breast, diced
- ½ a red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ an orange bell pepper, sliced
- ½ an green bell pepper, sliced
- ½ a yellow onion, sliced
- ½ cup cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened to room temperature plus more to taste
- Olive oil for the pan
- Fresh Italian parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Seasoning blend:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot, cook pasta according to package directions (don’t salt the water) until al dente. Reserve about 1 to 2 cups of pasta water, which is needed to build the sauce. Drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients until evenly combined.
- Season chicken with half of the prepared seasoning. The rest of the seasoning will be used later.
- Heat a few drizzles of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the seasoned chicken until golden brown and fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan (don’t wipe clean), heat more oil and cook bell peppers and onions until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with the remaining seasoning mix, adjusting the amount to taste.
- Next, add the softened cream cheese cubes and the reserved pasta water as needed (I used to about 1 cup), and stir until creamy and thickened.
- Return the chicken and cooked pasta, mix to combine, and let it simmer for another 2 minutes until creamy and incorporated.
- Finish with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Remember to reserve the pasta water. You'll need it to build the sauce.
- Instead of cream cheese, you can use heavy cream. However, use less pasta water to adjust the consistency.
- I wouldn’t cooking the pasta ahead of time. You’ll need the warm, starchy water to build the sauce.
- Prep ahead: Season chicken overnight, and slice and chop all the veggies and garlic as needed. The seasoning can be made ahead.
- Reheat over the stovetop or in the microwave oven with a splash of heavy cream.
- Freezing: I would not recommend freezing. The cream sauce may turn gritty when defrosted.
- Seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought fajita seasoning if you'd like.
- Cream cheese: heavy cream.
- Chicken breast: Diced boneless chicken thighs.
- Add-in veggies: Mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 728mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1685IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg