My love for either Mexican or Italian food is no secret but for the longest time, I did not make any attempts to combine the flavors of these 2 to come up with new recipes which could have the best of both worlds. Then recently I tried Cajun chicken pasta in a couple of different places. That was very inspiring ….. not in terms of what was served to me but the idea that I could make a pasta with Mexican flavors and hopefully I would be able to create the taste I was looking for.

The fact that I was going to make a pasta with Mexican flavors was very clear to me but I did put a lot of thought into what would be the right flavors to go into the pasta. When I think of Mexican food, the flavors that immediately come to my mind are bright bell peppers, lots of oregano, lime or lemon and chillies of course for the heat. And for the meat it had to be grilled chicken with the flavors that I would put into my chicken fajitas. This recipe can be made vegetarian at any point of time by simply omitting the meat.

For the sauce I used alfredo instead of tomato sauce because alfredo sauce just stays in the background and lets the flavor of everything you add to it come forward. But I was looking for the tang and sweetness of tomatoes as well so I opted to add some halved cherry tomatoes, for the color and for the flavor. Scallions along with tomatoes were like salsa in my sauce. The lemony effect was achieved by marinating the chicken in lemon juice and Mexican spices and adding lemon zest to the pasta sauce. The final result was really good – crispy peppers, tender grilled chicken and tons of flavor made the pasta an absolute delight! So if you love Mexican flavors and pasta, this is a must try dish! It will beat similar dishes served in restaurants in every way!

Ingredients:

Pasta (any shape you prefer)

½ cup each green, red and yellow bell pepper strips

½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

¼ cup chopped scallions

Juice of ½ lemon

Zest of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

1 ½ cups white/alfredo sauce

4-5 chicken fillets/ 1 chicken breast

1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix / 1 batch fajita dressing (see here)

Chilli flakes to taste

½ tsp dried Mexican oregano

½ tsp dried basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain the pasta and sprinkle ½ tsp of dried basil on it while it is still hot so the herbs can stick to the pasta.

2. Marinate the chicken in the fajita marinade. Alternatively rub a teaspoon of oil and a tablespoon of lemon juice over the chicken pieces and rub the Cajun spice mix and salt and pepper over it. Grill the chicken in a pan over medium high heat. Cook on both sides till it is cooked but still tender. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced peppers and sauté till almost done but still crunchy. Add the cherry tomatoes, spring onions and fresh basil and cook for another minute or so. Sprinkle the lemon zest on it.

4. Add salt and pepper and mix. Then add the pasta sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the grilled chicken and sprinkle with the chilli flakes and dried oregano. Season with salt and pepper and add the pasta to it. Sprinkle remaining lemon juice, mix well, check seasoning and adjust if needed.

6. Remove the pasta to a serving dish, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve.