Chicken Fettuccine Diavolo

Yes, this is a made up name for a dish that I randomly created one night. I tried to make it sound fancy and look up what spicy sauce was referred to in Italian. Though diavolo means red sauce made spicy with chili flakes (and I think devil, but not too sure about that), and this is a "pink" sauce (red and white sauce mixed), I liked the name so I went with it. Using the thesaurus and dictionary.com make me often sound smarter than I am, lol. Kinda reminds me of that episode of Friends where Joey uses the thesaurus on literally every word for Monica and Chandler's recommendation letter for adoption. The letter came out horribly but so hilarious. Check it out here.

This recipe is actually pretty healthly as far as pasta dishes go. Instead of making a full fat cream sauce, I used fat-free half and half and only 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, then mixed that with a red sauce. I love spicy foods, so I kicked it up a notch with red pepper flakes. The peas made a great addition with a nice little pop, literally, of texture and just enough sweetest to counter the spice. All in all, it took under 30 minutes to make a pasta dish that feed us for days.

Chicken Fettuccine Diavolo

• 2 skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced 
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup fat-free half and half
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce, bottled
• 2 tbs olive oil, divided
• 1 tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 8 oz fettuccine pasta
• Salt and pepper

1. Boil a large pot of water for pasta. Add pasta once water has reached a rolling boil and cook for 12 minutes or until al dente. Remove and set aside.
2. Cut chicken into small, 1/2 inches pieces and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Heat skillet to medium high with 1 tbs olive oil.
4. Cook chicken until done, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
5. Add mushrooms to pan that chicken was cooked in. Cook for 3 minutes until slightly browned.
6. Add onions to the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until onions are softened. Remove onions and mushrooms and set aside.
7. Add remaining tbs of olive oil and add flour. Cook for one minute.
8. Add half and half and mix continuously until sauce thickens. 
9. Add cheese and continue to mix until cheese is fully incorporated. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
10. Add tomato sauce and mix until it is fully incorporated. Add red chili flakes.
11. Add peas to sauce, stir, then add chicken, mushrooms and onions.
12. Add pasta and stir until all pasta is coated.
13. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tips and Tricks

• If you are in a rush, you can use a store made Alfredo sauce in place of olive oil, flour, half and half and Parmesan cheese.
• Use whatever type of pasta you have on hand. Shaped pasta with ridges would be a great idea as the sauce will stick well to it.
• Grilled chicken would really kick up the flavor if you have that on hand.
• If you are serving this later, wait to mix the pasta with the sauce until right before serving.