Print

Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Pasta

Closeup top view of plate with creamy peri peri chicken pasta.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Juicy chicken pieces, veggies and pasta are tossed in a spicy creamy peri peri tomato sauce that’s made with cottage cheese in this Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Pasta!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pasta Dish:

  • 50 grams / ¼ medium Red Onion – finely chopped
  • 100 grams / ½ medium Bell Pepper (I used yellow, but any color is fine) – diced
  • 15 grams / 3-4 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 5 – 30 grams / 1 – 10 fresh Red Chilies (optional – note 1 – Thai Bird’s Eye or any small hot red chilies), to taste* – finely chopped
  • 1 TSP Olive Oil
  • 160 grams / 5.65 ounces Red Lentil & Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta (I use Clearspring brand, but any brand or type of pasta you like will work)
  • 50 grams / ≈ ½ cup frozen Green Garden Peas
  • 2–4 TBLS Reserved Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • To Serve: 2-3 Sprigs chopped fresh Coriander (Cilantro) or Italian Basil

For the Creamy Peri Peri Pasta Sauce:

  • 90 grams / ≈ ½ cup Tomato Pasta Sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce with no sugar added, but you can use your favorite kind)
  • 25 grams / ≈ 2 TBLS Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce (I used their XX Hot, but choose your favorite – note 2)
  • 110 grams / ≈ ½ cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese (note 3)
  • ½ TSP Kosher Salt
  • ¼ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 TSP dried Oregano Flakes
  • ¼ TSP Onion Powder
  • ¼ TSP Garlic Powder
  • ⅛ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste
  • ½ TSP Crushed Red Pepper, to taste

For the Chicken:

  • 200 grams / 7 ounces Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ¼ + ⅛ TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ¼ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ¼ TSP Garlic Powder
  • ½ TSP Smoked Paprika (Hot or Sweet – I use La Chinata brand)
  • ⅛ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste
  • Cooking Oil Spray
  •  

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the red onion, bell pepper, garlic, red chilies and coriander as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.

For the Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Pasta:

  1. Make the creamy peri peri pasta sauce: In a high-speed food processor or blender, combine the tomato pasta sauce, cottage cheese, kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cayenne and crushed red pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy – about 30 seconds. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof large mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Season and air-fry the chicken: Preheat the air fryer for 3 minutes (or according to manufacturer’s instructions for preheating) at 190°C / 375°F. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and ground cayenne and toss to coat. Place the chicken pieces in an even layer in the basket and spray lightly with cooking oil spray. Air-fry for 6-7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside. (Note: You can cook the chicken in a skillet lightly sprayed with oil for 5-7 minutes or until cooked if you prefer or don’t have an air-fryer.)
  3. Cook the pasta and peas: While the chicken is air-frying, boil water in a large deep skillet or wok and salt generously. Cook the pasta according to package instructions for al-dente pasta. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water and add the green peas to the skillet/wok. Once the pasta is al-dente, drain along with the peas and transfer immediately to the bowl with the peri peri pasta sauce.
  4. Sauté the veggies: Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in the same pot or wok you used to cook the pasta over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and chilies (if using) and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat.
  5. Bring it all together: To the bowl with the peri peri pasta sauce, pasta and peas, add the sautéed veggies and cooked chicken. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and mix well using a silicone spatula and a folding motion to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water as needed until it is loose enough to coat everything.
  6. To Serve: Divide evenly onto plates or transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander or basil and serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Adjust the quantity to taste based on your heat level preference or leave them out for a milder flavored pasta dish.
  2. Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce. Feel free to use their hot, medium, mild or garlic peri peri sauce instead. They’ll all taste great in this dish! You can also use another brand of peri peri sauce that you like or a homemade one. 
  3. Low Fat Cottage Cheese Alternatives. If you’re not a fan of cottage cheese (though you can’t really taste it in the sauce), use light cream cheese and make this an almost one pan meal. Sauté the veggies and aromatics in a pan on the stovetop, then add the pasta sauce and seasonings. Stir in the light cream cheese until melted. Add the cooked pasta, peas and cooked chicken and toss to coat. Add a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. You can also use ricotta cheese instead. Note though that the low-fat cottage cheese version results in a protein-heavy and lighter on calories sauce.
  4. Meal Prep and Storing/Reheating Leftovers. Double the recipe ingredients by clicking ‘2x’ at the top of the recipe card to make 4 servings. Transfer to meal prep containers and seal once cooled. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, mixing halfway through, until hot throughout.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/creamy-peri-peri-chicken-pasta/