Spicy chicken pasta

It's time to refresh ourselves, with this spicy chicken pasta style. This juicy moist chicken-that’s mildly hot in a creamy yogurt sauce is ready in under 30 minutes. 

This recipe is so simple and straightforward. And super quick that you can serve the family a wholesome dinner effortlessly. 

And what next, without being in the kitchen for a long time to make the dinner. Feel relaxed, now you have saved some time to focus on other priorities. 

The goodness of this recipe

• Every single spoonful of spicy chicken pasta is highly irresistible and delivers restaurant quality food in a healthy way, same as in this buttermilk pasta sauce.
• Pasta recipes are my all-time favorite, as they are effortless, and very convenient to adjust the quantity according to the family size.
• The spicy chicken tossed with a healthy Greek yogurt sauce makes it creamy and delicious. The Greek yogurt makes the sauce creamy, on top of this it mellow downs the spiciness and beautifully blends with other ingredients in the dish. 
• A sprinkle of cilantro at the end gives the freshness that lingers in the mouth for a long time.
• Pantry staple ingredients are always the super hit among the household. Another advantage? Mostly , these types of recipes are economical and involve less prepping work. In other words, I can serve the family wholesome dinner in no time.

How to make the best Spicy chicken pasta?

Whether you make a spicy chicken pasta in the classical way or customize to your taste-cooking the pasta to ‘al-dente’ is a well kept secret. When planning to add vegetables, serve them as a side salad.

The ingredients

Chicken. I have used chicken thighs for protein. The chicken thighs are better for the flavors, and its moist features that's perfectly worked in this spicy chicken pasta. However you may substitute with chicken breast as well. I always store frozen chicken in the freezer, as it's very convenient to make super quick recipes like this.

Pasta. I have used ziti pasta since I was planning to make a dish with pantry staples. But penne pasta(like this spicy penne pasta) is better than the ziti pasta for this kind of dairy based recipes. Because the outer texture of penne pasta can hold the sauce very well.

Onion. Gives a body and a subtle flavor. And also adds up a nice texture to the sauce. I have used red onions but white onions are also equally good in this recipe.

Diced tomato. Fire roasted diced tomatoes are great for the intense flavor. Still, feel free to use fresh diced tomatoes as well.

Garlic powder. The flavor booster that enhances and glorifies other components of the dish.

Greek yogurt. Provides the creaminess and gives a nice tangy taste to the sauce that reflects in every bite. Additionally, it provides a luscious, silky texture. Hence, you will not be missing the cheese in this recipe.

Cilantro. Brighten up the whole dish(like this spicy rigatoni), but you may substitute word parsley or dried parsley as well.

How to make?

In a mixing bowl, add skinless boneless chicken thighs. And add paprika, cayenne pepper, pepper, and salt. And toss well until the chicken is well quoted with the spices. And allow it to marinate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a pot of water and bring it to a rolling boil. Now add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. I cooked my ziti pasta for 12 minutes. Drain the pasta. And set aside.

Place a pan over medium heat, add olive oil and lay the marinated chicken over it.

Allow it to cook on both the sides, until the center is cooked thoroughly. This will take between 12-14 minutes over medium heat. here, make a note that the bone in chicken thighs needs longer cooking time, say around 25-30 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan. And set them aside. Once cooled, cut into stripes(you can do this part while the sauce is cooking).

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, chopped onion, chopped jalapeno, and minced garlic. And sauté for a while, until the onion turns translucent.

Now add a can of diced tomato along with its juice. 

Add red chili powder, coriander powder, and ground cumin. And cook until the sauce reduces to a thick flowing consistency.

Now add the pasta, Greek yogurt, chicken stripes(or save the chicken strips and serve later over the pasta). 

And gently toss until all the ingredients are combined together.

Sprinkle chopped cilantro. And serve hot.

How to customize?

Pasta. Swap ziti pasta with other pasta like penne, bow tie, fusilli, rotini.

Spices. Control the spices to suit your personal preference. If you want to cut down the spice, reduce the cayenne pepper and compensate with paprika.

Greek yogurt. I have added Greek yogurt for the creaminess. However the choices are many for substituting this ingredient. For instance, completely skip using the Greek yogurt from the recipe list-to make a hot and spicy sauce. On the other hand you may also substitute with cream cheese, plain yogurt, or sour cream. 

Salad. Toss it over the salad and make a spicy chicken pasta salad, like this Greek yogurt chicken salad.

How to serve?

Serving suggestions. You may toss the chicken stripes along with the pasta. Alternatively, reserve some strips to serve as a topping to enhance this dish to restaurants style. On the other hand, serve the entire chicken strips over the pasta(when you want to distinguish the pasta from the spiced chicken).

Veggies. Vegetable dishes like roasted vegetables, curried Brussel sprouts are excellent to make a perfect family dinner.

Salad. Salads like fresco salad(chili’s copycat recipe), , are delectable to pair with.

How to store?

Store the leftover pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 1 to 2 days. The Greek yogurt makes the storage life shorter, so plan accordingly.

You may freeze this spicy chicken pasta to use within the period of two months. Use Ziploc bags or freezer safe containers for the best results. 

This pasta recipe is a good meal prep dish. Means, you can make them in large batches and save upto two months.

To thaw, leave them in the refrigerator overnight or microwave it in increments of 30 seconds. And make sure to toss occasionally in between.

Tools suggestion for this recipe

Skillet. A good quality skillet ensures the chicken to cook evenly.

Measuring tools. Best for handling, and a base tool that should be every kitchen.