Cheesecake Factory’s Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta is a favorite of mine. This pasta dish is full of veggies like asparagus, peas, onions and peppers – but it also has a spicy creamy alfredo sauce! This copycat chicken pasta recipe will surely be a family favorite!
Why You Will Love This Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta
Man oh man – the chicken is delicious!! This recipe’s honey garlic glazed chicken is delicious enough to be a dish on its own. But when you add it to the pasta, vegetables and alfredo – it’s the best dinner you’ll have all week!
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Ingredients for Cheesecake Factory’s Spicy Chicken Pasta
This pasta dish is full of delicious and flavor-filled ingredients. Plus you’ll be making a delicious Parmesan Cream Sauce with a spicy kick. Here’s what you’ll need:
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- honey
- penne pasta
- butter
- fresh asparagus
- red bell pepper
- yellow bell pepper
- sweet yellow onion diced
- frozen peas
- wonton strips – you could swap and use crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips
For the Parmesan Cream Sauce
- butter
- flour
- milk
- heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- chipotle chili pepper seasoning – you could swap with canned adobo peppers or chili powder if need be
How do you make the Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta?
This dinner will only take about 20 minutes to make! It’s easy – with a few steps – before you put it all together.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Start with your chicken. Pound chicken breasts to even thickness between sheets of parchment paper.
- Rub minced garlic on chicken breasts. Then, using a basting brush, baste both sides with honey.
- Now you’ll cook your chicken. I chose to air fry the chicken – it cooks chicken perfectly! Air Fry at 375º for 12 minutes – Flipping chicken half way thru.
- You can also cook on the stove top – but I just find the air fryer is foolproof.
- Once chicken is done, set aside for now
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare Penne according to package directions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 3 tbsp butter to melt
- Add vegetables (asparagus, onion, peppers, peas) and saute for 5-7 minutes until tender. Remove veggies from pan and set aside
- In same pan, add 3 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Once butter melts add flour and whisk continuously to make a rue.
- Whisk in milk and cream – stir sauce & it will thicken in 1-2 minutes. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and chipotle seasoning and remove from heat.
- Give the sauce a taste and season with salt & black pepper if you like
- Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta with a colander and dice chicken into bite-sized chunks
- Add chicken, vegetables and pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Add in pasta water for a little extra sauce.
- Serve in 4 bowls and garnish with wonton strips, a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Yup. I tried a couple of different chipotle seasonings for this dish – the canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and the chipotle pepper seasoning powder. I went with the seasoning powder because I could control it more easily. The peppers in the can are REALLY spicy – so if you go that route – I would only use one. I also felt they added a bitter taste that I didn’t care for. You could also swap and use chipotle pepper sauce instead of the seasoning or canned peppers.
Yes – heat oil in a skillet and saute garlic-seasoned chicken for 3-5 minutes per side. Once chicken is done, baste with honey and saute 1 minute more on each side.
The restaurant version has a whopping 1770 calories! My version isn’t “healthy” by any means but has half the calories at 862 calories.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat leftovers in the microwave – the cream sauce will be a little more oily – but you can add a touch of cream and Parmesan cheese to bring it back to life.
What to serve with Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta?
The nice thing is this dish has nearly everything – carbs, veg and protein! What does that leave? Dessert!!!! While I haven’t mastered Cheesecake (it is from Cheesecake Factory) – I do have some yum!
- Cherries in the Snow (no bake Cherry Cheesecake)
- Carnival Cruise’s Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
- Chuy’s Tres Leches Cake
More Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipes
Copycat Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 lb penne pasta
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1/2 yellow pepper diced
- 1/2 red pepper diced
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
Parmesan Cream Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper seasoning
Topping
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Start with your chicken. Pound chicken breasts to even thickness between sheets of parchment paper.2 chicken breasts
- Rub minced garlic on chicken breasts.1 tbsp minced garlic
- While chicken is cooking, prepare Penne according to package directions1/2 lb penne pasta
Stove Top – Chicken
- Heat skillet with olive oil over medium2 tbsp olive oil
- Saute over medium until chicken is done (flipping halfway)2 chicken breasts
- Once chicken is done (temp check to 160) – brush lightly with honey on each side and saute 1 min on each side1/4 cup honey
Air Fryer – Chicken
- Using a basting brush, baste both sides with honey1/4 cup honey, 2 chicken breasts
- Place chicken in air fryer and Air Fry at 375º for 12 minutes Flipping Half way thru
After Chicken is Done
- Remove chicken from pan/air fryer and set aside
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 3 tbsp butter to melt3 tbsp butter
- Add vegetables (asparagus, onion, peppers, peas) and saute for 5-7 minutes until tender. Remove veggies from pan and set aside1 bunch asparagus, 1/2 yellow pepper, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 yellow onion, 1/2 cup frozen peas
- In same pan, add 3 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Once butter melts add flour and whisk continuously to make a rue.3 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour
- Whisk in milk and cream – stir sauce & it will thicken in 1-2 minutes. Whisk in Parmesan cheese and chipotle seasoning and remove from heat.Give the sauce a taste and season with salt & black pepper if you like3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp chipotle chili pepper seasoning
- Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta with a colander and dice chicken into bite-sized chunks
- Add chicken, vegetables and pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Add in pasta water for a little extra sauce.
- Serve in 4 bowls and garnish with wonton strips, a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juicewonton strips
veenaazmanov says
Looks super delicious and best combinations. This is surely a happy meal option for my family.
Jessie says
Yum!! Looks like all I need is the peppers I will make a quick trip to the store and I can make this. The flavors sound amazing!
Adrianne says
This is my kindof recipe, yum and yummo. I love the use of asparagus and the chipotle and it sounds like a great combination. Will give it a go on the weekend, thanks for the recipe!
Dannii says
Anything with chipotle in is good with me. This pasta looks delicious.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I love trying new pasta recipes and this one caught my eye with all of those colourful veggies. Totally delicious!
Chris David says
Really delicious recipe
Mary Slanker says
Wow. Amazing recipe.