Chicken Enchilada Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Bold Tex-Mex fusion combining shredded chicken, penne pasta, black beans, and gooey melted cheese in enchilada sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Vegetables & Beans

03 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small onion, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
08 - 1 cup frozen corn

→ Sauces & Dairy

09 - 2 cups red enchilada sauce
10 - 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 - ½ cup sour cream

→ Spices & Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
16 - Salt and pepper to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnishes

18 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
19 - Sliced green onions
20 - Diced avocado

# How-To Steps:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Stir in shredded chicken, drained black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
04 - Pour in enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream and half of the cheeses, mixing until creamy and well blended.
06 - Sprinkle remaining cheeses evenly over the top. Cover and let sit for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
07 - Serve hot, garnished with cilantro, green onions, or avocado as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like enchiladas without the tedious rolling and layering, so you get all the flavor in half the time.
  • Everything cooks in one skillet after the pasta boils, which means fewer dishes and more time to relax.
  • The gooey cheese mixed with tangy sour cream creates a creamy sauce that coats every bite perfectly.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have melded together.
02 -
  • Drain the diced tomatoes completely or your sauce will turn thin and runny instead of thick and clingy.
  • Stir the sour cream in off the heat or on very low, because high heat will make it separate and look grainy.
  • Don't skip the smoked paprika, it adds a depth that regular paprika just doesn't deliver.
  • Use a deep skillet or you'll be chasing pasta over the edge of the pan like I did the first time.
03 -
  • If the sauce looks too thick after adding the pasta, splash in a little pasta water to loosen it up and make it silky.
  • Taste before you add salt because the enchilada sauce and cheese are already salty, I over-salted my first batch and regretted it.
  • Let the dish rest for five minutes before serving, the sauce thickens up and clings better to the pasta that way.
  • Use freshly shredded cheese instead of pre-shredded, it melts smoother and doesn't have that weird coating that keeps it from getting creamy.
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