Chef Joel & Jenn: Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
What an incredible weekend. After going to see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Friday and an incredibly relaxing Saturday we had a busy Sunday. We woke up and had a nice stroll down to Balboa Island. It's one of our favorite walks and clocks in right around 3.5 miles round trip. The only bummer is trekking uphill on Jamboree on the way back. While down on Balboa Island we got a donut at the frozen banana shop and had a really nice walk along the bay-front.
When we got home Jake & Amy came down and we headed over to Crystal Cove to go to the beach. We'd never gone to that particular beach but boy am I glad we did today. Right when we got there we not only saw dolphins near the shore but we also saw a decent sized Whale as well. It was pretty great. We stayed at the beach for an hour or two and headed to El Ranchito for lunch (second time this weekend) where Jenn and I split the shrimp fajitas. We split so we could make room for a new dish we tried to make tonight a Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta.
A month or two ago we vowed to try and make a new dish every Sunday. That lasted two Sundays in a row where we made homemade meatballs (we prefer Trader Joes) and a new family staple Chicken Fajitas. Then our Sundays got busy and although we eat at home a lot we kind of cycle the same few things over and over again (Burgers, Tacos, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken, Pork Chops, and Steak) and it's time to expand our menu. So this weekend we tried our hands at the roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta dish found on AddaPinch.com. We made both the dish and the sauce. The recipe of which is at the bottom of the post.
We stuck to the recipe almost to the letter except for the spinach, we bought some but I think I'll use it for a salad because neither of us are huge fans of greens in our pasta. The good news however is the dish didn't suffer as this ended up being one of the best meals we've ever made. The creaminess of the sauce combined with the spice of the roasted red peppers made for an excellent combination. Plus with the excellent organic pasta from Trader Joes and we made a dish that has officially entered the Joel & Jenn Dinner rotation. I honestly cannot wait to eat it again!
Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ medium onion, diced finely
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 (12-ounce jar) roasted red peppers, diced
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and roasted red peppers, including the juices from the container. Add in heavy cream, stirring constantly until cream sauce has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon. Add red pepper flakes, if using. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and cubed
- 1 roasted red pepper cream sauce recipe
- 1 (8-ounce) package pasta, your favorite style, cooked
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add in chicken and cook until cooked throughout and browned, about 8 minutes. Remove chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Prepare roasted red pepper cream sauce in the skillet. Drain cooked pasta and toss in the cream sauce with tongs, making sure to coat pasta as much as possible. Add back in chicken. Add fresh spinach and remove from heat. Toss all ingredients together and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve warm.
