Grilled Chicken And Sweet Pepper Pasta

Simple rigatoni pasta with grilled chicken, roasted garlic, sweet peppers, and fresh basil perfect for a weekday winter meal.

Sometimes you need an easy fresh dinner that uses things you probably already have in your pantry or refrigerator. This is one of those recipes that I can put together in less than an hour and have a yummy hot meal. It is also easy to meal prep this, so it can be even easier.

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What ingredients do you need for grilled chicken and sweet pepper pasta?

• Rigatoni
• Red Pepper
• Yellow Pepper
• Orange Pepper
• Spanish Yellow Onion
• Roasted Garlic Oil
• Roasted Garlic Cloves
• Fresh Bucatini Mozzarella
• Fresh Basil
• Butter
• Maldon Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
  
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The Recipe…

Fill a large pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Then add kosher salt and drop in pasta. Cook for 8 minutes and drain. Do not rinse. This will wash off the starch which helps the sauce stick to the pasta and gives a better mouth feel.

While waiting for water to boil, heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. When  hot add the garlic oil then add the onions. Sauté the onions until soft and see through.

Add all three peppers and sauté until soft, but not mushy. Add the roasted garlic cloves, basil, and butter. Toss all together and check seasoning for salt and pepper.

When pasta is ready, add directly to the sauté pan and toss. If the pasta seems a little dry add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water to moisten. Lastly add the mozzarella. Toss and check again for salt and pepper. Enjoy!

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Recipe Tips:

• This recipe is great for parties and guests.
• Do not worry if you can not find all three colors of peppers. Use what you have.
• You can add chicken or shrimp if you want protein in your pasta.
• Other veggies I like to add are zucchini, yellow squash, or cherry tomatoes.
• Here is an easy recipe for Roasted Garlic.

Make Ahead:

• The chicken can be grilled up to 3 days before.
• The peppers can be cut and held in the refrigerator 2 days in advance. Much longer and they can start getting mushy.
• Make a large batch of roasted garlic and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. I like to keep it on hand at all times.
• You can also pre-cook the pasta 2 or 3 days ahead. Do not rinse to cool it down. This will rinse off the starch which helps the sauce to stick to the pasta as well as rinsing out all the salt and making the pasta water logged and bland.
• Then toss it together right before dinner.

Storing tips:

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

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