Food and Recipes Recipes One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta 5.0 (1) 1 Review Just the food mash-up your family is craving. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 2, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Active Time: 35 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Would you believe this flavorful dinner comes together in just 35 minutes start to finish? You better! This One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta will satisfy your Tex-Mex and carb cravings for one indulgent dinner the whole family will love. There's actually a scientific reason why our brains are so fond of food mash-ups. The perfect blend of familiarity and novelty mixed with the anticipation and expectation of such mash-ups makes for a dopamine-boosting experience. This One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta will be the happiness-inducing food mash-up you've been looking for. Pepper Jack cheese and a little pasta water yield a sauce that's creamy but not too thick. Chili powder and cumin add just the right amount of smoky flavor. Feel free to add chopped jalapeños if you like a little heat, but otherwise, this Chicken Fajita Pasta is delightful as-is. If you're signed up for dish duty tonight, this One Pot Chicken Fajita Pasta should be on the menu. All you need is a large cast-iron skillet. Serve Chicken Fajita Pasta family-style around the table, and voila! Go ahead and add this recipe to your list of family-friendly weeknight meals. Ingredients 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 3 (4-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-in. strips 3 small bell peppers (any color or combination), thinly sliced (about 5 cups) 1 medium-size red onion, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups) 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta 2 ½ cups tap water ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish ⅓ cup cream cheese 6 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups), divided Directions Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until seared on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, and garlic powder; cook, stirring often, until peppers are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in pasta and water (some of the pasta will not be submerged in water). Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and cooking water is thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. While pasta cooks, preheat oven to broil, with oven rack about 6 inches from heat. Remove pasta from heat. Stir in cilantro, cream cheese, and 1 cup of the pepper Jack cheese, until cheese melts and mixture is creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Top evenly with remaining ½ cup pepper Jack cheese. Broil until cheese is lightly browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and garnish with cilantro. Rate it Print