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One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta

Closeup front view of plate with chicken fajita pasta.
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Juicy chicken fajita pieces, onion, peppers, garlic and pasta get tossed in a lightened-up creamy sauce in this tasty One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta dish! Ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for busy weeknights!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken:

  • 300 grams / 10.6 ounces Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 9 grams Old El Paso Smoky BBQ Fajita Seasoning Mix (or use any store-bought or homemade fajita seasoning – note 1)
  • ¼ TSP Fine Sea Salt (use ½ TSP if using kosher salt)

One Pot Fajita Chicken Pasta:

  • 15 grams / 2 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 30 grams / 8-10 fresh Red Chilies (optional, I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies, omit for milder dish – note 2*)
  • 80 grams / 1/3 medium Red Onion – thinly sliced
  • 124 grams / 1 medium Bell Pepper (any color) – sliced, then sliced in half if the pieces are large (I used ½ a red bell pepper, and ¼ each of a yellow and green bell pepper)
  • 160 grams / 5.64 ounces Wholewheat Fusilli (or any short-cut regular or gluten-free pasta)
  • 15ml / 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 100 grams / ≈ 1 cup Passata (substitute with tomato puree)
  • ¼ TSP Fine Sea Salt, to taste
  • ½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • ½ TSP Smoked Paprika (hot or sweet)
  • ½ TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 3*)
  • ¼ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste (note 3*)
  • 9 grams Old El Paso Smoky BBQ Fajita Seasoning Mix
  • 50 grams / 3 Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges (note 4)
  • 60ml / ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any type of plant-based or regular milk)
  • Pasta Cooking Water, as needed
  • 6 grams / 3 sprigs Coriander (Cilantro) – chopped
  • To Serve: Reserved chopped coriander

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the garlic, red chilies, red onion, and bell pepper(s) indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section.
  2. Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with fajita seasoning and fine sea salt. Mix well to coat.

One Pot Fajita Chicken Pasta:

  1. Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta al-dente according to package instructions in a large pot (or the same large deep sauté pan you’ll use to make the pasta dish) of boiling salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside. (I like to run water cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further.)
  2. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, until lightly seared and almost fully cooked.
  3. Sauté the veggies and aromatics: Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic and chilies and sauté for 1 minute or until the bell pepper has slightly softened and the garlic and chilies are fragrant.
  4. Add the passata and seasonings: Stir in the passata, fine sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, ground cayenne and remaining 9 grams of fajita seasoning until combined well. Add 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water to help deglaze the pan and mix well to combine.
  5. Stir in the cheese and milk: Turn the heat down to low and make a small hole in the center of the pan. Add the Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges and 2 tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water. Mix the cheese gently with the water in the same spot until it breaks down. Then add the unsweetened almond milk and stir until a creamy sauce forms. Mix to combine the sauce with everything else. 
  6. Add the pasta: Add the pasta and mix until evenly coated in the sauce. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of the reserved pasta water and continue cooking until it clings onto the pasta.
  7. Mix through the coriander: Add most of the coriander (reserve some for garnish) and mix through to combine. Switch off the heat.
  8. To Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with the remaining coriander. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Old El Paso Smoky BBQ Fajita Seasoning Mix. I love the smoky, slightly sweet and charry BBQ flavor this fajita seasoning flavors the chicken and the sauce for this pasta dish. Feel free to use any type of store-bought or homemade mild, medium, or hot fajita seasoning you love.
  2. Fresh Red Chilies: Use less or more to taste, or omit the them completely for a milder dish.
  3. Ground Cayenne and Crushed Red Pepper: Adjust quantity to taste based on your heat level preference. Or omit for a milder dish.
  4. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges: This is a semi-soft cheese that becomes creamy and smooth once melted in pasta dishes. Substitute with light or regular cream cheese if unavailable.
  5. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store in airtight sealed containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout.
  6. Meal prep option. Double the recipe ingredients by clicking ‘2x’ at the top of the recipe card to make 4 servings instead of 2. Cook as indicated. Divide evenly in meal prep containers and cover once cooled. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout.
  7. See ‘Variations’ and ‘FAQs’ section in the post above if you’d like to customize this fajita pasta dish.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/one-pot-chicken-fajita-pasta/