Name: Chicken Fajita Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces; 1 envelope fajita seasoning; 2 cups each sliced onions and peppers; 3-4 cloves garlic minced; 1 (14-oz) can chicken broth; 1- pint heavy cream; 1 (10-ocan Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles; 8 oz (about 3 cuppenne pasta; ½ teaspoon salt; *Top with shredded cheese sour cream, and guacamole, if desired when serving.

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Chicken Fajita Pasta

I have to tell you. My family was really hesitant to try this Chicken Fajita Pasta recipe. For whatever reason, they did not think the combination of Chicken Fajita Ingredients and Pasta would be a good combination.

However, I saw this dish at a party not too long ago, and all of the people in attendance were raving about it, so I put it on my list of recipes to try.

Once my family tasted the first bite, they were begging for more, and can’t wait for me to make this again.

Next time I might even substitute the chicken for fajita steak, just to change it up a bit.

This was definitely a hit with my crew! We love eating pasta in our home, and I usually make 2-3 pasta dishes per week, so it’s a staple in our pantry.

I am also a big fan of Stop & Shop Grocery stores, and even though they closed all the locations in my state, we are fortunate to have a location in a Chelmsford, MA that is only 10 – 15 miles away. One of my kids has regular doctor appointments in Chelmsford, so we always stop in on our way home, and shop (pun intended :))

This past week, they had Barilla pasta on sale, so I stocked up on several varieties.

Make sure you grab some New Barilla Pronto Pasta next time you shop at Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores, or Martin’s Food Markets.

Barilla Pronto Pasta is also available through Peapod! (Do you have Peapod in your area? I LOVE IT! They don’t deliver to my area just yet, but I’m able to order the groceries I need, and drive up to a designated area at the store and have my items brought right out to my car. It is fantastic during the miserable winter months!)

If you haven’t tried the Pronto Pasta from Barilla, I highly recommend it.

It features one pan preparation (as seen in this recipe), you do not have to wait for the water or liquid to boil before you add the pasta, and best of all, you do not have to drain the pasta water before adding it to a recipe!

This is such a great feature for those of us whose weeknights are packed with kids activities, PTO meetings, etc. I adapted the recipe my friend gave me to work with the Pronto Pasta, and it took 15 minutes off the cook time since I didn’t have to wait for the water to boil, pasta to cook, and then add to the dish.

It ended up taking me 32 minutes from start to finish because we like the chicken to be very well done, and the vegetables to be cooked until soft and the onions are completely clear and transparent.

I was able to help the kids with their homework while it cooked since all of the prep work was done for me, and only had one pan to wash when I was done. It’s so nice not to be stuck in the kitchen for an extended amount of time in the evening!

First, gather all of your ingredients so everything is handy as you prepare the dish.

If you are chopping your own vegetables, do that before you begin preparation, so you are ready to add them in when the time comes.

I was able to get pre-sliced vegetables on sale with a coupon for less than I would’ve paid for whole vegetables.

The combination of pre-sliced vegetables and Barilla Pronto Pasta that doesn’t require pre-cooking and draining saves me so much time on busy weeknights!

These are the items I picked up at Stop & Shop, and the prices.

The other ingredients I had on hand already.

Chicken Fajita Pasta. This delicious pasta recipe features Barilla Pronto Penne Pasta. It's fast, easy, and affordable for busy weeknight dinners. http://bit.ly/2YIdyD9 via @WhenIsDinner1

It served our family of 5 and had leftovers for Nick to take to work the following day for lunch, so there was 6 adult sized servings in this recipe. He said it was even better the second day!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts $5.34
1 envelope fajita seasoning $0.79
2 cups each sliced onions & peppers $1.99
3-4 cloves garlic, minced $0.50
1 14oz can chicken broth $0.89
1-pint heavy cream $1.79
1 10oz can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles $1.25
8 oz (about 3 cups) Barilla Pronto penne pasta $1.25

Total Cost: $13.80 or just $2.30 per serving.

Yield: 6

Chicken Fajita Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes

Total Time 42 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 envelope fajita seasoning
2 cups each sliced onions and peppers
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth
1- pint heavy cream
1 (10-ocan Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
8 oz (about 3 cuppenne pasta
½ teaspoon salt
*Top with shredded cheese sour cream, and guacamole, if desired when serving.

Instructions

Slice the chicken into bite-size pieces.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and add 1/2 of the Chicken Fajita Seasoning Packet. Stir the chicken around until it is fully cooked, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on medium high. When the oil is hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining 1/2 fajita seasoning packet. Cook, stirring occasionally until the veggies are cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.

In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked Barilla Pronto pasta, and salt.

Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.

Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet with the pasta and stir to combine until heated through, about 4 minutes.

*Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, if desired when serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 618Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 569mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 33g