Chicken and Peppers Parmesan Pasta
Chicken and Peppers Pasta
One of our family favorites! This yummy dish of chicken, assorted sweet peppers, pasta and white wine sauce makes an amazing, easy dinner... Make it tonight!
Chicken and Peppers Pasta
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, 1-inch cubed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red pepper, sliced and halved
1 small orange or yellow pepper, sliced and halved
1 lemon, juiced (~ 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2-pound cooked tubular pasta, such as Cavatappi, Penne, Mostacoli, Rigatoni, or Campanelle
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons corn starch
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: Extra Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil
Equipment needed:
Cutting board
Chef knife
Dry and liquid measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Citrus juicer
12-inch deep skillet with lid
Rubber or bamboo spatula
Large serving spoon
My daughter loves this dish growing up and always would request it when she came home from college on breaks! Who doesn’t love pasta and this chicken dish screams “fresh” too! Nothing like chicken and fresh onions, peppers and garlic sautéed together with a yummy white wine sauce to satisfy your appetite! Super easy preparation techniques and dinner can be ready in less than an hour. Grab your chef knife and skillet and let’s start cooking!
Begin by cutting up your boneless chicken breasts into 1-inch or bite-sized pieces. You will need your pasta cooked at the end of the sauté steps, so put on a large pot of salted water to bring to a boil. Cooking is all about dovetailing your steps, so that everything is ready together! Make sure the onions are diced, the garlic is minced and the peppers are thinly sliced and then halved before you start heating the skillet too. Remember, ingredients need to be small enough so the eating process is easy and ingredients are dispersed evenly... you want peppers in every bite too! Refer to the ingredient picture above to use as your cutting gauge. Juice your lemon, as well, using a citrus juicer ... or lemon juice from the refrigerator works too. Now everything is ready for quick preparation. Check on your pasta and begin cooking it. Pasta needs to be slightly less than ‘al dente’ (~ 1 – 2 minutes less than instructed cooking time) as it will continue to cook in the sauce with the chicken and vegetables.
Once you begin cooking, the entire process only takes about 30 minutes or less. Begin by heating the skillet over medium high heat for 4 – 5 minutes. Drizzle the olive oil in the pan and begin by sautéing the onions and garlic for about 3 – 5 minutes. When the pan smells wonderful, add the cubed chicken and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for 5 – 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink on the outside. The chicken will continue to cook, so don’t fear that it is raw at this point. Don’t want dried out chicken in your final product! Finally, add the sliced peppers and sauté for 4 – 5 more minutes. Peppers will become brighter in color as they cook. Sprinkle with seasonings and stir well. At this point, your pasta should be cooked and drained.
Almost finished! Place the drained pasta on top of chicken/ veggies in the skillet. Pour lemon juice, chicken broth and white wine over pasta and stir well. Cover skillet with the lid and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring half way.
After the chicken and pasta have simmered and absorbed about half of the liquid, you need to add the finishing touches to the sauce. Combine the 1⁄4 cup cool wine and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and stir well. Pour over simmering pasta and blend well. The cornstarch will thicken the remaining liquid and create a wonderful sauce that will stick to the pasta as you stir. Last step in the sauce creation is the addition of the grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the cheese over pasta and stir well ... give it a taste and adjust your seasonings if needed too. Isn't the aroma and meal appeal fantastic? Your family will agree!
Your dinner is ready... Wasn’t that fun! I love the colors, aroma and flavor of this dish and you will too. Garnish with a bit more cheese and/ or a bit of chopped fresh basil... serve with a tossed salad... Enjoy!!