Chicken and sauteed vegetables tossed with rigatoni in a spicy cheese sauce and sprinkled with black beans and tomatoes. A Ruby Tuesday Sonora Chicken Pasta kind-of copycat recipe.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta
1 (10 ounce) can Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (the mild or hot versions are fine, too - choose according to your heat preference)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (I used 2 %)
½ cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup green onions to garnish
Instructions
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and brown (for about 8-10 minutes).
While the chicken browns cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Add the can of Ro-Tel to the browned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally for another few minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside,
Add the onions and peppers to the hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until they are soft and fragrant. Add the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute before adding the butter.
Let the butter melt in the skillet with the vegetables. Stir in the flour to make a roux - it will be pasty. Pour in the milk, stir, and let it simmer. Then stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.
Continue stirring the mixture until the sauce is smooth. Add the chicken back in.
Stir in the drained pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the black beans and half of the diced tomatoes.
When serving, top each portion with more diced tomatoes and a sprinkle of green onions.
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/southwest-chicken-pasta/