Blackened Chicken Penne with Cheesy Pepper Jack Sauce

• servings: 2
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 light green pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 chicken breast, chopped

Fry Seasoning

Penne pasta

1 oz cheese cream

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

2 TBSP butter

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Wash and dry all produce. Core, deseed, and thinly slice green pepper crosswise. Peel and finely chop garlic until you have about 1 TBSP (2 TBSP for 4p).

3. Place chicken in a medium bowl and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with Fry Seasoning, salt, and pepper.

4. Once water is boiling, add pasta to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Carefully scoop out ½ cup pasta cooking water (1 cup for 4p), then drain and set aside.

5. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over high heat. Add seasoned chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly blackened and cooked though, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer chicken to a plate. Wipe out pan.

6. Heat another drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add green pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned and tender, 4-5 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to plate with chicken. Wash out pan.

7. Melt 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4p) in same pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

8. Stir in cream cheese, cooked pasta, and a few splashes of reserved pasta cooking water, if necessary, to create a creamy sauce. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.

9. Stir chicken mixture, ¾ of the Pepper Jack, and another splash or two of reserved pasta cooking water into pan until everything is evenly combined and creamy. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.

10. Divide pasta between bowls and top with remaining Pepper Jack and hot sauce (if desired).

Nutrition

• Calories: 810
• Total Fat: 34
• Saturated Fat: 17
• Cholesterol: 170
• Sodium: 510
• Total Carbohydrate: 77
• Dietary Fiber: 5
• Total Sugars: 7
• Protein: 51