Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta

This is my take on the delicious Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta from Cheesecake Factory. This recipe is even better because you know exactly what’s in it and it doesn’t have asparagus! It’s perfect to make for guests because it’s super easy and everyone LOVES it.

And another reason to love this Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta? It’s almost entirely made in one big cast-iron skillet. You’ll just need to boil the pasta in a separate pot. The combination of creamy cheese sauce and smoky chipotle peppers is a haunting one. It’s one of those that is so good, you will be already be thinking about when you can eat it next before you’ve even finished your meal. Let’s make it!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredients in creamy chipotle chicken pasta

• Pasta – the dish at The Cheesecake Factory uses penne, but I like using ziti or rigatoni
• Salted butter
• Chicken tenderloin
• Onion
• Poblano pepper
• Garlic
• Honey
• Half & half
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• Parmesan cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Frozen peas
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro

The Cheesecake Factory dish also has asparagus, which really isn’t my favorite, so I left it out. You could certainly add it in if you’re a fan though. You can also swap the poblano for bell pepper as Cheesecake Factory does!

And honestly, I think that’s a relatively short ingredient list for a dish with so much flavor complexity. Now, let’s get into the cooking process.

How to make chipotle chicken pasta

Start a large stock pot filled with water over high heat, bring to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Just be sure to throw in a palmful of salt once the water is boiling before you add the pasta.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then add butter. Once melted, add the chicken tenderloin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden and an internal temperature of 165F is reached. I love using a meat thermometer when cooking meat! It takes out all the guesswork and I can be confident the chicken is done without cutting it!

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and set it aside.

To the same skillet, add more butter and the chopped poblano pepper and onion. Cook until tender, then add the garlic. Next you’ll add the chipotle peppers and some of the adobo sauce. Save remaining adobo sauce to make this chipotle chicken!

We are getting there! Now in goes the half and half and honey. Cook this until the mixture thickens and is bubbling.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add salt, pepper, peas and both cheeses. Stir to combine. Chop up the chicken and add it to the sauce along with the pasta.

Stir until fully combined. Top with chopped cilantro and cracked black pepper to serve.

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Creamy Chipotle Chicken Pasta

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The combination of creamy cheese sauce and smoky chipotle peppers is a haunting one. It’s one of those that is so good, you will be already be thinking about when you can eat it next before you’ve even finished your meal.

• Author: Becky Schmieg
• Prep Time: 25
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Category: main
• Cuisine: american

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 16 oz box of dry ziti or rigatoni pasta
• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 1 lb chicken tenderloins, see notes about seasoning the chicken
• 1 large poblano pepper, chopped
• 1 sm/med yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 cups half & half
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
• 2 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups frozen peas
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat, covered. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions, but toss a palmful of salt into the water right before adding the pasta.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 2 tbsp salted butter. Once melted, add the chicken tenders, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Until golden and an internal temp of 165F is reached. Use a meat thermometer for this. Set the chicken aside on a plate (or just a piece of foil for easy clean up!).
3. Return the skillet back to medium heat and add remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Add the onion and chopped poblano pepper. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Turn heat down just a touch and add the minced garlic, stir and cook about 1 minute. Add the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce and stir.
4. Add the half & half and honey, return heat back to medium, stir and cook until the sauce begins to thicken and bubble.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and both cheeses.
6. Return skillet to low heat. Chop the chicken into pieces, add it along with the peas to the sauce and stir. Add the pasta and stir until pasta is fully coated. Taste and add more salt if desired.
7. Top with chopped cilantro and cracked black pepper and enjoy!

Notes

• Chicken: to get the most tender & flavorful chicken possible, sprinkle it with salt up to 24 hours ahead of time. Even if all you can do is sprinkle with salt while you prep the other ingredients, it will help!
• Swaps: as mentioned in the post, you can add in asparagus if you want to make it closer to the cheesecake factory version. You can also use bell pepper instead of poblano.