Rattlesnake Pasta

🧂 Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 lb Cavatappi pasta
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeños
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 ounces Asiago cheese
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese
• 2 Jalapeños

  seeded and sliced

Instructions

• 1 I recommend letting the chicken sit out until it is ready to cook. Letting it
  come slightly to room temp will shorten the cooking time, provide an even cook,
  and thus maintain moisture, providing a juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breast.
• 2 In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring water and salt to a boil.
• 3 Cut a 2” piece of jalapeño pepper and finely mince it to make about 1 tablespoon
  of minced jalapeño.
• 4 Prepare the cream sauce by adding garlic cloves, minced jalapeños, peppercorns,
  and sea salt to a mortar and crush into a paste with a pestle. Add olive oil
  once the peppercorns are mostly broken down, and continue to crush until the
  peppercorns and salt are pulverized. Set aside. Always wear gloves when handling
  the jalapeños, or be sure to wash your hands before touching anything,
  especially your face. It may be easier to crush the garlic cloves slightly
  before adding them to the mortar. If you do not have a mortar, use a ziplock and
  meat mallet or a bowl and a muddler.
• 5 Grate the Asiago cheese into a bowl and set both aside.
• 6 Add the pasta to the water and boil Al dente according to the package
  instructions. (About 10 minutes)
• 7 Use this time to shred the cheddar cheese and jalapeño slices that will be added
  as a finishing touch.
• 8 When the pasta is done, pour into a colander and place under running cold water.
  This helps prevent the pasta from over cooking and will also prevent it from
  sticking together as the chicken and sauce are prepared. Return the pan to the
  stovetop over high heat.
• 9 Add the butter to the pan with ½ of the Italian seasoning and the minced garlic.
  This infuses the butter with the Italian seasoning and garlic. Since the chicken
  will be cooking in the butter the chicken will soak in these flavors as it comes
  to temp.
• 10 Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle the remaining Italian seasoning over the
  top. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for an
  additional 3 minutes. Covering the pan traps heat and steam inside which speeds
  up the cooking time and adds moisture to the chicken breast.
• 11 Remove the chicken from the pan and place onto a wooden cutting board. Use an
  upside down mixing bowl to create a dome over the chicken to trap the heat.
• 12 Next, prepare the sauce by adding the garlic jalapeno paste to the pan and sauté
  for 2 minutes. This releases the flavor of the jalapeño and garlic into the
  butter providing a savory kick of flavor to the base of the sauce.
• 13 Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir until combined. Cook for about one
  minute or until the flour starts to bubble
• 14 Slowly incorporate the heavy cream and milk into the sauce. Whisking constantly
  to prevent lumps.
• 15 Once the milk and cream are fully incorporated, reduce the heat to low and stir
  in the shredded asiago cheese and cayenne pepper. Stir until melted, about 1
  minute.
• 16 Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and cover.
• 17 Thinly slice the chicken breast. Add the chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, and
  jalapeño slices to the pasta.

Nutrition Info