AL DENTE DC RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spray 10- to 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add 2 cups thinly sliced red and green bell peppers and 1 small white onion, chopped, to skillet; cook and stir about 10 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile, cook 2 cups uncooked penne pasta as directed on package until al dente. Drain.
• In large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, bell peppers and onion, 1 lb shredded cooked chicken breast, 1 package Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix and 1 cup whipping cream until combined. Pour into baking dish.
• Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey jack cheese blend (4 oz) evenly over top.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

Steps:

• • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. • Halve, deseed, and thinly slice poblano into strips. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
• • Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain. • Meanwhile, heat a large drizzle of oil in a medium pan (large pan for 4 servings) over medium-high heat. Add poblano and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4-5 minutes.
• • Add a drizzle of oil to pan with poblano; add beef* and scallion whites. Season with Southwest Spice, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until beef is browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out. • Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds.
• • Add ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (¾ cup for 4 servings) and stock concentrates to pan with beef mixture. Season with ½ tsp salt (1 tsp for 4) and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
• • Reduce heat to low and stir in drained cavatappi, sour cream, smoky red pepper crema, half the Mexican cheese (you’ll use the rest in the next step), 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), and hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water, a splash at a time, until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
• • Top beef cavatappi with remaining Mexican cheese; cover pan until cheese melts, 1-2 minutes. Top with scallion greens and serve.