Mexican-Style Chicken With Penne

Submitted by HEP MEP

"The Husband loves penne and rigatoni and this looked pretty good. From Food & Wine magazine... I'm breaking my personal rule again...I haven't tried this - yet - but I'm planning on making it in the next week or so...The recipe did not say whether or not you leave the chicken whole, but I'm planning on cuttting mine up into bite-size pieces... (made it last night- I halved the amount of chipolte/sauce because I didn't want too much heat and I also added some of the juice from the tomatoes. Really good. I highly recommend the queso blanco too - tastes great in this)"

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 11

ingredients

• 3⁄4 lb penne rigate
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 large chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1⁄2 cup frozen corn
• 1⁄4 lb queso blanco or 1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaf

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.Add the penne and cook till al dente - drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper, add to skillet and cook until lightly browned.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened and chicken is cooked through.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, chipolte and adobo sauce and cook until heated through.
5. Add the corn, season with salt & pepper and cook until the corn is heated through.
6. Add the penne and the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the sauce and toss to coat. Add one cup of the queso blanco and toss.
7. Transfer pasta to bowls - sprinkle with the remaining cheese and cilantro and serve.

Reviews

[Kiari Ahul]

We liked this recipe but thought it could use a little more seasoning. I added Cumin, Chili Powder and Mexican Oregano. I also added a can of black beans to round out the flavors. Am thinking of using a can of rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis and maybe a little lime juice to add a little extra kick.

 

[Red in US]

We LOVED this recipe!!! I used boneless chicken breasts that I cut into chunks. I also used 3 cloves of garlic and 2 chipotle peppers. We were shocked at how good it was. Will be fixing this recipe more often.

 

[Irmgard]

This was delicious! I made it using boneless chicken thighs and whole wheat penne and I used a small chipotle in adobo. It wasn't hot at all, merely pleasantly tingly on the tongue. I have enough left over for another meal later in the week. Can't wait to try the leftovers!

 

[Starrynews]

Great! A very nice one-dish meal that is packed with veggies and has a little zip to it. I added 1/4 green bell pepper, diced, and used a 4 cheese Mexican blend. I also decreased the serving size a little as a personal preference-- I halved the recipe and used 4 oz pasta and 1 chicken breast tenderloin to feed two of us. Thanks for a keeper!

 

[Kentuckycook]

Great recipe! My family loved it. The only change I'd make is using more chicken, probably an additional half pound.