Southwest Chicken Alfredo

• Meat

  • 1 lb Chicken breasts, boneless skinless

• Produce

  • 1 Avocado
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Green bell pepper
  • 1 Parsley, fresh
  • 1 Red bell pepper
  • 1 Yellow onion, small

• Pasta & Grains

  • 1 package Cavatappi pasta

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 tbsp All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Chili powder
  • 1 Salt and fresh ground pepper

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 2 tsp Cumin, ground

• Dairy

  • 5 tbsp Butter
  • 1 1/2 cups Half and half
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Found on diethood.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 package (1 pound) Cavatappi Pasta
• 1 pound (about 3 to 4 pieces) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 avocado, diced, for garnish
• chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• In a ziploc bag, combine ground cumin, cayenne pepper and chili powder.
• Add the cubed chicken pieces to the ziploc bag; close it and shake it around until all chicken pieces are coated.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken pieces to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is browned and thoroughly cooked.
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
• In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter; add diced peppers, onions and garlic.
• Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
• Remove vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
• Add butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat.
• Whisk in the flour; continue to whisk until mixture is smooth.
• Slowly whisk in the half-and-half into the sauce until completely incorporated.
• Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce, whisking continually.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer; cook, stirring regularly, until the sauce has thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and vegetables to the sauce; stir and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot.
• Add drained pasta to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.
• Remove from heat.
• Top with diced avocado and fresh parsley.
• Serve.

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