Bell Pepper Pasta with Chicken

Bored with spaghetti and meatballs? Try making this easy dish inspired from allrecipes.com. The original recipe called for feta cheese but I opted for the richer and sharper Parmigiano-Reggiano instead (plus, it was on sale!). The bell peppers lend a nice light taste to the pasta and the lack of a heavy sauce really brings out their flavor. Add a little chicken for protein and you’ll have one colorful and easy weeknight meal.

Ingredients

(Makes 4-6 servings)

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 boneless chicken breasts

1 16 oz box rotini pasta

1/2 c chopped onion

3 minced garlic cloves

1 medium chopped red bell pepper

1 medium chopped orange bell pepper

1-2 t Italian seasoning

1/4 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 c water

1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

1. Rinse chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet and sauté until done, then remove and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt, and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same skillet that was used previously and sauté onions for 2 minutes or until they just begin to turn transparent.
4. Add garlic and peppers, stir for 2-3 minutes until tender.
5. Stir in salt, pepper, seasoning, cooked chicken, and pasta until warmed through. Add water as needed so that it is not too dry.
6. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Try using kitchen shears to trim and cut the chicken before cooking. It saves time and the scissors can be thrown right into the dishwasher afterwards.
• If the fancy colored peppers aren’t on sale, use the good old green ones instead. This is a judgment-free zone after all. Same goes for the fancy cheese―Parmesan or even shredded mozzarella will do just fine.
• As the Parmigiano can be a bit sharp, stay conservative when adding it and do a taste-test after half of it is mixed in.
• Feel free to substitute your favorite pasta in this dish. I used rotini because it was fun, swirly, and, most importantly, in our pantry.
• For an extra kick, try adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mix.