Fajita-style pasta
Prep
10 mins
Cook
25 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
You're going to love this one because it tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen when really it comes together in just 35 minutes. I've taken all those amazing fajita flavours you get at restaurants and turned them into a creamy pasta dish that's honestly become a weeknight staple in my house. The chicken is lean protein that keeps you satisfied without weighing you down, and those colourful peppers add a real nutritional punch along with the warm spices. Best part? It's budget friendly and uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, so there's no fancy shopping list to worry about.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 largeskinless chicken breasts cut into strips
- 11 onion thinly sliced
- 11 red pepper deseeded and sliced
- 11 yellow pepper deseeded and sliced
- 11 garlic clove crushed
- 11⁄4 tsp chilli powder
- 11 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 11⁄2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tspground coriander
- 11⁄2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsptomato purée
- 80 mldouble cream
- 350 gpenne or rigatoni pasta
- 11⁄2 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1grated parmesan or cheddar(to serve)
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a large shallow casserole or frying pan. Add the chicken and fry for 5 mins over a medium heat until golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- 2
Put the onion and peppers in the same pan and fry over a medium heat for 8-10 mins. Add the garlic, dried herbs and spices and cook for 1 min. Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 mins. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the cream, stirring to combine. Season to taste.
- 3
Cook the pasta following pack instructions, then drain and reserve 150ml of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan with 50ml of the water and stir everything together over the heat. Add a little more water to loosen if needed. Season to taste and stir through the parsley. Divide between six bowls and top with a little cheese and extra chopped parsley, if you like. This can be packed into a lunchbox and eaten cold, too.
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