Thirteen ingredients and forty-five minutes, in a pot and one skillet.
The peppers keep their shape here. They are cooked until lightly charred but still firm, so they stay long strips in the finished pasta rather than melting into the sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cutting the chicken into strips matches the shape of the pepper strips beside it.
- Fajita seasoning on the chicken flavours the fat that the peppers then cook in.
- Charring the peppers briefly gives smokiness without losing their bite.
- Cream cut with broth stays light enough to coat farfalle without weighing it down.
- Lime juice added off the heat keeps its sharpness, which cheese would flatten.
Ingredient Notes
- Fajita seasoning
- A tablespoon and a half tossed through the chicken strips before they hit the pan.
- Red and orange bell peppers
- One of each in long strips. Two colours is what the photograph shows, and they stay firm.
- Heavy cream and chicken broth
- Three quarters of a cup and half a cup, simmered until lightly thickened.
- Cilantro and lime
- A third of a cup chopped with a tablespoon of juice folded in, and wedges to squeeze at the table.
Everything in Strips, Nothing Overcooked
A fajita is built on strips of chicken and pepper that keep their shape, and that is what this pasta protects. Each rung below happens in the same skillet, in the order the steps set out.
Season
1 1/4 lb CHICKEN BREAST CUT INTO STRIPS, TOSSED WITH 1 1/2 tbsp FAJITA SEASONING. Tossed, not rubbed - the strips are thin and the seasoning needs to sit on all of them.
SearUntil 165°F
SEARED IN 1 tbsp NEUTRAL OIL UNTIL BROWNED AND 165°F, then REMOVED. 165°F is the safe temperature; taking the chicken out keeps it from overcooking while the peppers char.
Char
1 sliced RED BELL PEPPER and 1 sliced ORANGE BELL PEPPER COOKED IN THE SAME PAN UNTIL LIGHTLY CHARRED BUT STILL FIRM. Still firm is the instruction that keeps them visible as strips.
SauceUntil lightly thickened
2 tbsp UNSALTED BUTTER and 2 MINCED GARLIC CLOVES, then 3/4 cup HEAVY CREAM and 1/2 cup CHICKEN BROTH SIMMERED UNTIL LIGHTLY THICKENED. The broth is what keeps it pourable rather than heavy.
Fold
The chicken RETURNED, then 12 oz cooked FARFALLE, 1/3 cup CHOPPED CILANTRO and 1 tbsp LIME JUICE FOLDED IN, SERVED WITH LIME WEDGES. This recipe leaves out the usual fajita extras: NO BEANS OR CHEESE TOPPING.
How to Make It
Farfalle cooked al dente and drained
Cook the farfalle until al dente and drain.
Chicken tossed in fajita seasoning, seared to 165°F
Toss the chicken with the fajita seasoning and sear in the oil until browned and 165°F, then remove.
Pepper strips lightly charred but still firm
Cook the red and orange pepper strips in the same pan until lightly charred but still firm.
Butter and garlic, then cream and broth thickened
Add the butter and garlic, then the cream and broth. Simmer until lightly thickened.
Chicken back in with pasta, cilantro and lime
Return the chicken, fold in the farfalle, cilantro and lime juice, and serve with lime wedges.
Success Tips
- Cut the peppers the long way so they stay recognisable strips in the bowl.
- Leave the pepper strips still in the pan for a minute at a time to get the char.
- Add the lime juice after the heat is off so it tastes fresh.
Serving Ideas
Four bowls of farfalle in a pale-orange cream sauce with seared fajita chicken and long red and orange pepper strips, heavy with cilantro and a lime wedge on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which pasta shape is this?
Farfalle - the bowties in the photograph.
Should I top it with cheese?
No. There is no cheese or beans in this version; the finish is cilantro and lime.
How soft should the peppers be?
Lightly charred but still firm. They are meant to hold their shape against the pasta.
