Cilantro Lime Chicken Pasta
A quick lunch or dinner fix that is tangy and so delicious!
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- 1 lb spaghetti
- salt
Cilantro Lime Chicken Sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ¾-1 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- 4-5 cloves garlic crushed
- ½-1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock (or ¾ of a stock cube)
- ¼-1/2 cup cream
- zest of one lime
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice 2 limes
- ¾-1 cup shredded cheese - monterey jack, parmesan, mild cheddar or any combinationn
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- salt, freshly cracked pepper, red chilli flakes, red chilli powder for seasoning
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Bring a generous amount of water to boil and add a few fat pinches of salt
- Pop in the spaghetti
- Season the chicken pieces well with salt, pepper, and a tiny pinch of cayenne (red chilli powder)
- Cook the chicken pieces in a hot skillet in the olive oil for about 2 minutes on each side on medium high heat - they should be golden brown and cooked through
- Remove the chicken, turn down the temperature and then add the garlic and chilli flakes
- Sprinkle on the flour and cook for a minute to take away the raw smell
- Then whisk in the chicken stock, the lime zest, cream (start with ¼ cup) and some freshly ground pepper
- Bring to a boil and simmer till it thickens a little
- Add the chicken pieces and 2 tbsp lime juice to the sauce.
- Drain the pasta when it's cooked through making sure to reserve a cup of pasta water
- Add the sauce to the cooked spaghetti, stir to coat.
- Now stir in the cheese, tossing the pasta frequently as you add it. It should melt into the pasta fairly quickly, add a splash of pasta water and additional cream to loosen the sauce if needed
- Cook on medium heat stirring frequently until the sauce is a consistency you like. If it thickens too much then add more pasta water.
- Add the cilantro, mix lightly and then taste the pasta - adjust seasoning with remaining lime juice, salt, pepper and chilli flakes
- Serve immediately
Notes
- Any cheese that isn't overpowering works well here.
- this is not a saucy pasta meaning it does not microwave well. If you are planning on reheating then make sure to reserve extra pasta water and reheat in the skillet
