Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I thought this chicken enchilada pasta dish would make a delicious alternative from our usual enchiladas or tacos and I was right. We love this! The sauce is so flavorful. It also makes some fabulous leftovers. Run, don't walk, to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for this yumminess as soon as you can. Top with avocado, green onion, black olives, tomatoes, and sour cream.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 558 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 (10 ounce) cans green enchilada sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta, or to taste
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded, or more to taste
• ⅔ cup red enchilada sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and return pasta to the pot.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion in hot oil until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir red bell pepper and garlic into onion; sauté until fragrant and softened, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir chicken, green enchilada sauce, red enchilada sauce, diced green chiles, chili powder, cumin, and salt into onion mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavors blend, 8 to 10 minutes. Add Colby-Jack cheese and stir until melted and heated through, 1 to 3 minutes.

Step 4

Reduce heat to low and stir sour cream into enchilada mixture; cook and stir until heated through. Pour enchilada mixture over penne pasta and toss to coat completely.