Description
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe combines tender cajun-spiced chicken, colorful bell peppers, and a creamy, tangy hot sauce for a flavorful and satisfying meal ready in just 20 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it features pasta tossed with a zesty sauce enriched with cream and parmesan, topped with fresh jalapenos for extra heat.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pasta shapes (such as penne)
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces (about 525g or 18.5oz)
- 1 tbsp Cajun spice mix
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 2 jalapenos (or medium heat green chillies), sliced
- Small bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
Sauce
- 60 ml hot pepper sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) double (heavy) cream
- 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan cheese, grated
Garnish
- 1 jalapeno (or medium heat green chilli), sliced
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water for later use.
- Heat Oil and Cook Chicken: While the pasta cooks, heat sunflower oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken breasts, sprinkle over the Cajun spice mix and black pepper, then stir to coat. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is sealed and nearly cooked through.
- Add Stock Cube and Vegetables: Sprinkle the crumbled chicken stock cube over the chicken and stir well. Add the minced garlic, sliced onion, red and yellow peppers, and sliced jalapenos to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens slightly.
- Make the Sauce: Add the chopped spring onions, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, double cream, and grated parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir thoroughly and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta directly into the pan with the chicken and sauce. Stir well to combine everything, adding splashes of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce needs loosening to desired consistency.
- Serve: Divide the buffalo chicken pasta evenly between bowls and garnish each serving with sliced jalapeno for an extra kick of heat. Serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- This dish delivers a perfect balance of spicy, creamy, and tangy flavors.
- Using fresh jalapenos gives the sauce heat; adjust quantity to your spice preference.
- Reserve pasta water to control the sauce thickness and help it cling to the pasta.
- Preparation and cooking time totals approximately 20 minutes, great for quick dinners.
- You can substitute the chicken breasts with thighs for juicier meat if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 693 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1085 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 53 g
- Cholesterol: 154 mg
