Satisfy your Cheesecake Factory cravings at home. In just 30 minutes you can enjoy a skillet of spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta. This easy pasta dinner has chicken and fresh veggies in a sweet and spicy cream sauce. It's sure to become a new favorite.
One of my favorite restaurants to eat out at is the Cheesecake Factory. Over the years, we have lived close and far away from this restaurant. When we lived close, it was our go to place for date nights.
Of course, it was also our date day choice when we lived far away too. I guess I'm just a creature of habit because I know what I like. So, it takes a lot to get me to change.
That holds true to my dinner order there as well. They had a fried chicken flatbread sandwich with avocado that was absolutely amazing, so I would always order it.
However, a few years ago on one of our lunch dates, my hubby and I headed to The Cheesecake Factory with a new mission. We were both going to order something totally different and new instead of our favorite meals.
This is kind of a scary thing to do because what if you order something and really don't like it? I know, I know. First world problems right there.
We usually have chips and this Easy Homemade Salsa in our fridge. So I could always go home and munch on that. And M&M Blonde Brownies always satisfy if dinner is a bust. I'm kidding...kind of.
Once we got to the restaurant, I started reading through the menu. And if you have ever been there, you realize that the word "read" is correct because their menu is as big as a book!!!
I finally narrowed it down to their spicy chicken chipotle pasta. The flavor combo with the asparagus and peas had me intrigued, so I took the leap and ordered it. Plus, I knew I loved this Spicy Parmesan Shrimp Scampi, so I figured it was similar to it.
What I didn't realize is how much I would actually LOVE this spicy chicken pasta. In other words, it is now my new favorite thing to order from The Cheesecake Factory.
In fact, I loved it so much that I came home and made a copycat recipe, so I can enjoy it any time I want to.
How to make Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta:
- Cook and drain pasta. Drizzle with a little bit of oil to keep it from sticking and set it aside.
- Drizzle asparagus chunks with oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake.
- Sauté onions, red peppers, and garlic in oil. Remove the veggies from the pan.
- Add more oil and butter to the skillet and start to cook the chicken chunks. Once they are slightly cooked, add some honey and continue cooking until done.
- Pour in the milk, chipotle peppers, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta, veggies, asparagus, and frozen peas and toss until coated.
- Serve with crunchy tortilla strips and cilantro.
This Chipotle Chicken Pasta has such a variety of flavors and textures. Crunchy veggies, pasta, and the creamy sweet and spicy sauce will have you filling your plate with more because it is such a wonderful combination.
More easy pasta recipes for dinner:
- Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Tortellini
- Sausage Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Cheesy Chicken Pasta
Recipe
Chipotle Chicken Pasta
Satisfy your Cheesecake Factory cravings at home. In just 30 minutes you can enjoy a skillet of Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pasta. This easy pasta dinner has chicken and veggies in a sweet and spicy cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce penne pasta
- 2 cups asparagus chunks
- 4 Tablespoons oil, divided
- 4 Tablespoons honey, divided
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 1 cup red pepper, diced
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in chunks
- 1 - 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 Tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large sauce pan, boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to box instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place the asparagus chunks on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon oil. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add red peppers and saute for another 2 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove veggies from pan.
- Add 1 Tablespoon oil, butter, and 2 Tablespoons honey to skillet. Add chicken chunks and saute until completely cooked through.
- Stir the milk, parmesan cheese, chipotle peppers, and salt and pepper. Heat until slightly thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta, veggies, asparagus, and frozen peas and stir until mixed together.
- Serve with crunchy tortilla strips on top.
Notes
If you want to control the spicyness of this pasta, just use 2 chipotle peppers minced and 2 Tablespoons of the adobo sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 481Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 643mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 22gProtein: 27g
(original photo from April 2012)
*The post for Chipotle Chicken Pasta was first published on April 25, 2012. The photos have been updated, and the post was republished on August 28, 2019.
Joann
Hi Jocelyn, this looks delicious, and I can't wait to try it for my family. I do have a question; What can be substituted for the Asparagus? Thanks for any help you can give me. Have a wonderful and blessed day.
Jocelyn
You could use fresh or frozen broccoli in place of the asparagus. Just cook it separate like the asparagus was and then add it at the end. You could also leave it out and double the red pepper and peas. I hope your family enjoys it.
Emily Del Angel
Omggg, thank you Soo much for this recipe,.. I used to live in NY and CF was one of my favs, without mentioning Chipotle chicken pasta was my favorite. I move to Arkansas 4 years ago and always telling my bf about this pasta in particular, he's done everything to find something similar but nothing, not even good Italian restaurants has something like this...
cloey
Wonder if i can only put 2 chipotle pepper so my kids can eat too 🙂 is it gonna make a big difference?? if not, i will just add all or maybe just starting with 1 pepper 🙂 thanks!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
You can slowly add it and taste the sauce. I didn't think it was too spicy, and all three of our kids ate it too. But we eat a lot of spicy food so we are used to it too!
Andrea D.
I love your recipes. If you decide to share dinner or other savory dishes, I would love that too.
Jenny @ The NY Melrose Family
It looks great! I love how the burp brought you back to reality. Too funny. Thanks so much for sharing at Whimsy Wednesdays.
Abbie
Just pinned this! It looks ah-mazing!
The Miller Five
This sounds and LOOKS delicious! Another recipe going in my saved list. 🙂
Lauren
Stopping by from Newlyweds... never would have thought that honey would have been in there! We love chipotle peppers in this house. They're good in pretty much everything! My favorite is to blend them up with some sour cream as a topping for tortilla soup.
Michelles Tasty Creations
Jocelyn,
This looks so delicious! I can't wait to try it out. I had to laugh when you were saying what you usually eat (the sandwich with the yummy fry bread) because I've been hooked on that one for awhile now too and I think it's time to switch it up 🙂
Thanks for sharing,
Michelle
Stephanie Doyle
I switched things up and ordered that pasta there last time I went. It was ah-mazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Audra @ Once a Mom Always a Cook
This looks amazing! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
I love dinner ideas. This pasta looks delicious! I wish I could post savory things...but they don't inspire me. My post would be all boring and flat. 🙂
Mandy
I've never been to the Cheesecake Factory, but this looks great! I think you should have more meal recipes on here, for sure! Have a happy day 🙂
Michelle
Can you believe I've NEVER been to Cheesecake Factory?! I love cheesecake! There is one about 1/2 hour away from us but we have just never gotten there. This might just light the fire.....
Aimee
I love it! I also love more dinner ideas, I'm assuming you won't be sharing any fish. Hehe! Bring on the chicken Jocelyn!
Pasta looks amazing. I didn't know cheesecake factory served food, I usually skip through the menu and order cheesecake 😉
Hayley
Holy YUM! This looks so creamy and spicy and perfect. I have been to CF many times but have never ordered this--but now I don't need to, since you're a genius and made it at home 🙂 I can't wait to make this next week for my family.
Jenni
Oh, this looks amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe! {Will be putting these ingredients on this week's grocery list!} Thank you for sharing your recipe. 🙂
I hope you have a good night!
Blessings,
Jenni
amy (fearless homemaker)
it looks fantastic! i'm definitely going to try this next time i'm at the cheesecake factory, or maybe i'll just make it at home soon instead. =)
Holly
I LOVE LOVE LOVE me some Cheesecake Factory! It is my hubby and my favorite! The closest one to us is in Las Vegas, which is an hour and a half away 🙁 If I can make their recipes at home, than I am a happy girl! This pasta looks DELISH! I am SO going to make this asap 🙂
P.S. I would be thrilled if you started sharing more dinner ideas!
marcaritaville
Yummy! Thank you for posting! I will be featuring this on my meal plan for next week.
... Marcy