Arizona Chicken Pasta

This Arizona Chicken Pasta is full of chicken, white cheddar cheese, corn and black beans. It’s all coated in a lightly spicy chipotle cream sauce that is to die for! This pasta is what’s for dinner!

Some savory dinner recipes have been a loooong time coming around here. Way back when I first started the blog, I actually posted several. I had intended to continue with them, but then sweets just kind of took over. It makes sense because I love them so, but we can’t all live on cake alone. Sadly.

So today I’m excited to share this recipe with you. Not only is it delicious, but it’s the beginning of some savory dishes I’ll sprinkle in this year. And you guys – I’m totally kicking dinner off with a bang!

I went to college in Chapel Hill, NC and one of my very favorite restaurants was Top of the Hill. Not only is their food good, but they brew their own beer. It’s a hot spot for just about any time – day or night. My favorite meal was always the Arizona Chicken. It’s a pasta, though it doesn’t have pasta in the name. It’s been years since I’ve had it and I’ve missed it ever since. Today I’m sharing my version of it with you.

To start, you’ll need some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. The more you use, the more spice you’ll get. I used four and there was definitely a kick, but not a crazy one.

The peppers are pureed in a food processor with a bit of the adobo sauce and some heavy whipping cream. Because we’re not using a large amount of peppers, the cream helps with the pureeing of everything. You’ll then set that aside for when you need it.

Next, it’s time for the sauce. Start with some melted butter and saute the garlic a bit. You’ll then want to add the rest of the heavy cream, some flour and the chipotle mixture. Let it get nice and bubbly and start to thicken, then add some salt and pepper. Do not leave out the salt and pepper. They are so underrated sometimes, but without them you will have a bland dish. It’s true of desserts and it’s true of savory things. Bring on the salt.

Next is adding the shredded white cheddar cheese. I can’t buy white cheddar already shredded, so I busted out my shredder. There’s something kind of fun and satisfying about shredding cheese. Don’t you agree?

Finally, you add all the goodies – the corn, black beans, chicken and pasta. Top it all with a little more cheese, green onions and tomatoes and you’ve got one jammin’ pasta! Seriously, this is SO good! If you like a good cream sauce with a bit of spice and can never get too many black beans and corn, this pasta is for you!

Arizona Chicken Pasta

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• Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 16 oz box rotini pasta
• 3–4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp adobo sauce, from the chiles
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp flour
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup corn
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• Green onion
• Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Boil pasta to al dente according to package directions. Set aside.
2. In a food processor or blender, puree the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce and 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream until smooth. Set aside.
3. Add the butter to a large 12 in skillet over medium heat and allow to melt
4. Add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for about 30 seconds.
5. Next add the remaining heavy whipping cream, flour and chipotle mixture and stir to combine. Heat until mixture is bubbly and begins to thicken.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Stir in the shredded white cheddar cheese and allow to melt.
8. Add the corn, black beans and chicken and stir to coat in sauce.
9. Add the cooked pasta and stir until well coated in sauce.
10. Top the pasta with green onion, tomatoes and some additional shredded white cheddar cheese, then serve.

Enjoy!