Melted Monterey Jack cheese, chicken and colorful bell peppers are baked with fusilli to make creamy chicken fajita pasta the whole family will love.
This simple, delicious dinner is baked pasta with a twist. I love a pan of rich pasta with marinara and mozzarella, but chicken fajita pasta is something entirely different. Instead of Italian flavors, these noodles are baked with bright and colorful bell peppers, chicken breast and Monterey Jack cheese.
Baked fajita pasta satisfies a hunger for comfort food, while also introducing something new. You'll love these creamy, cheesy noodles with the flavor of bell peppers and tender chunks of chicken breast. Cilantro is optional, either baked with the pasta or served on the side.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken
- Fusilli pasta
- Bell Peppers
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Cream
- Paprika and garlic
Cooking Short Cuts
- Use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken or store-bought cooked chicken breast
- Check the grocery store freezer section for frozen chopped bell peppers
- Use a store bought shredded Mexican cheese blend
Add More Flavor
This is mild and cheesy kid-friendly pasta, but you can spice things up and add even more flavor by adding additional ingredients.
- Pepper Jack cheese, or a combination of Pepper Jack and regular Monterey Jack
- Red pepper flakes
- Diced green chiles (4-oz can)
- Cilantro
Monterey Jack Cheese Substitutes
Monterey Jack cheese is semi-soft, creamy and fairly mild with a pleasant flavor that is slightly sharp and tangy. The soft texture means it melts really well into a smooth and creamy sauce for pasta.
If choosing a Monterey Jack cheese substitute for this recipe, consider using cheese that will melt just as well. As this article about how to melt cheese by Cabot explains, cheese that has a higher moisture content melts better than dry, aged cheese. For this reason, a young mild cheddar will have a smoother melting texture than aged extra sharp cheddar, which can become grainy.
Cheese substitutes for Monterey Jack include:
- Cheddar - Use mild or medium cheddar
- Cheddar Jack - A blend of Monterey Jack and mild cheddar
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend - A pre-shredded blend that usually includes Monterey Jack, cheddar, asadero and other types of similar cheese
- Gruyere - A really bold and flavorful Swiss cheese
- Gouda - Use young, soft Gouda
- Mozzarella - Very mild, but melts well
Does the Chicken in Baked Pasta Have to Be Pre-Cooked?
It's tempting to put raw chicken directly into the pasta before it bakes, so you can skip the step of cutting and sauteing the meat. However, for food safety reasons, it's recommended to pre-cook chicken at least partially before it's added to baked pasta.
Chicken must reach an internal temperature of at least 165 F to insure that it is cooked. Pre-cooking the chicken makes sure that this temperature is reached by the time the chicken and pasta come out of the oven.
To make this recipe even easier, consider using leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken.
More Pasta Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Pork and Ricotta Meatballs
- Crockpot Lasagna (vegetarian)
- One-Pot Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Kale
IF YOU TRY THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW IT TURNED OUT. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW AND LEAVE SOME STARS — THANKS! I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK!
PrintBaked Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Description
Melted Monterey Jack cheese, chicken and colorful bell peppers are baked with fusilli to make creamy chicken fajita pasta the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds raw chicken breast or chicken tenders, cut into ½-inch pieces*
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 16-ounce bag (about 3 cups) frozen chopped bell peppers or 3 fresh bell peppers cut into short, thin strips
- 8 ounces/1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese**
- Optional: ½ cup chopped cilantro
*fully cooked chicken can also be used for this recipe (shredded or sliced chicken breast or thighs)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 425 F
- Add pasta to the boiling water. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the pasta cooking instructions, so the noodles are still slightly firm.
- **Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining the pasta. Set the 1 cup of pasta water aside.
- Drain remaining pasta water and set the pasta aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add chicken. As the chicken cooks, season it with ¾ teaspoon salt and the paprika.
- When the chicken is mostly cooked and lightly browned on the outside, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and bell peppers. Saute a few minutes more, just to defrost frozen peppers or slightly soften fresh bell peppers. Turn off the heat.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken and bell peppers, cream, reserved pasta water, 2 cups of cheese and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add cilantro if using. Mix really well.
- Spread the noodles out in a casserole dish (3 quart) or 9x13 baking pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly on top.
- Category: pasta
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: fajita pasta, chicken fajita pasta, bell pepper pasta,
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