chicken enchilada pasta

Spicy food is my weakness. Pasta is my husband's weakness. So what do I do when I find a recipe that caters to both of us? If you answered 'Make a gigantic pot full and devour it', then you are correct! Well, we did not devour it all. There are leftovers in the fridge for another day. Anyway, due to us having to also feed a toddler, I altered the recipe a bit so it was as spicy. You can find the original recipe over here. Her blog is pretty neat.

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

red bell pepper, diced

medium onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

19 oz can of red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup of sour cream

1 box of penne pasta

First, I marinated the chicken breasts with a southwest dry rub. Cook your chicken breasts and then shred using 2 forks. Start your pasta and cook according the the package directions. Chop the vegetables while you heat up the olive oil. I suggest on medium-high heat. Cook the onions in heated olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and red bell pepper and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add in the shredded chicke, chili powder, salt, ground cumin and enchilada sauce. If you want more heat, add in a can of diced green chiles. Simmer this lovely mixture for about 10 minutes. Make sure you keep an eye on your pasta! It should be about done now. Drain that and return to the pot. Add the cheese to your sauce and stir it until melted well. Turn the heat down to low. This is VERY important. Add in the sour cream and stir until well blended. Again, LOW HEAT. If not, your sour cream will curdle and that's just nasty. Now you pour your sauce over the penne and mix it up. Ready to serve! You can add whatever toppings you'd like. I personally like black olives and another tablespoon of sour cream on top.