Southwestern Pasta with Chipotle Cream Sauce

This is a spicy pasta dish full of veggies and it's a new favorite at my house. I added fewer chipotle peppers than it calls for since we like heat, but not as much as some people do. The Hopeless Housewife shared this recipe. This dish is good with or without the grilled chicken. 

 

Southwestern Pasta with Chipotle Cream Sauce

 

8 oz. dry penne pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to 1.2" thickness

Salt and pepper

Sauce:

3 T. butter

2 small shallots, minced

6 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 c. half and half

1 T. chipotle adobo sauce (from the can)

Vegetables:

1 t. vegetable oil

2 ears white corn

1 yellow pepper, sliced into 2" long slices

1 red pepper, sliced into 2" long slices

½ red onion, sliced into 1" long slices

¼ cup cilantro, chopped plus some for garnish

 

Cook pasta. Cook the penne pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, according to instructions. Drain and set aside.

 

Cook chicken. Heat grill pan or grill and cook chicken until opaque, about 3-4 minutes per side. Slice into 2" long slices and set aside.

 

Start sauce. Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot sand sauté until translucent. Add chipotle peppers, half and half and adobo sauce. Let simmer over medium heat, stirring every minute or two until sauce thickens.

 

While sauce is cooking, sauté corn, red and yellow peppers and onions in vegetable oil in a separate pan over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

 

When cream sauce has thickened, add the vegetables and continue to stir. Add chicken and pasta and stir well to coat pasta. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Salt to taste and serve.