Spicy BBQ Chicken Pasta

This Spicy BBQ Chicken Pasta is easy to make, great for feeding a crowd or a hungry family, and incredibly delicious and comforting! BBQ chicken, veggies, and pasta get tossed in a luscious, spicy, and vibrant sauce! It's then topped with plenty of cheese, baked until nice and bubbly, and garnished with chopped coriander and spring onion!

📝 Ingredients

• 2 Chicken Breasts (about 400 grams), boneless, skinless – cleaned and pat-dried
• 3/4 cup BBQ Sauce (homemade or store bought) – I used McCormick Grill Mates Chilli and Pepper BBQ Sauce)
• 1 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
• 1/2 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
• 1.5 TSP Smoked Paprika (Hot)
• 1.5 TSP ground Cayenne, to taste
• 1.5 TBLS Olive Oil (or any other cooking oil you like)
• 2 TBLS Olive Oil (or any other cooking oil you prefer)
• 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I used penne, but any short-cut pasta or noodle type pasta will work fine.)
• 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
• 1 medium head Broccoli – cut into florets, rinsed thoroughly and dried
• 1/2 Red Onion – finely minced
• 6 Garlic cloves – finely minced
• 2-6 Red Chilies (optional), to taste – chopped
• 1 (400 grams / 14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes (I used chopped Italian tomatoes with olive oil & garlic. But you can use any type of chopped or crushed canned tomatoes, or passata. Alternatively, you can use chopped fresh tomatoes if you have them on hand – you’ll need about two medium tomatoes.)
• 1.5 cups Whole Milk (Use low-fat milk to make it lighter, or heavy cream or half and half for part or all of the milk amount to make the sauce creamier and richer.)
• 1 TSP Kosher Salt
• 1.5 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 1 TSP Smoked Paprika (I use La Chinata Smoked Paprika (Hot) because it’s incredibly robust, flavorful, and deliciously spicy! But you can use a sweet smoked paprika if you prefer.)
• 1 TSP ground Cayenne, to taste
• 1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Chili Flakes, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian Blend or Mozzarella Cheese (I use Tillamook Farmstyle Cut Shredded Italian Blend Cheese – which is a mixture of shredded low moisture part skim mozzarella and parmesan cheese)
• 3-5 sprigs Coriander – roughly chopped
• 1 Spring Onion – chopped

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- For the Spicy BBQ Chicken: ---
2. 2Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
3. 3Heat olive oil in a pressure cooker over medium high-heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts, followed by the BBQ sauce, smoked paprika, and ground cayenne to taste. Then flip the chicken breasts and stir the sauce to mix up all the spices and seasonings.
4. 4Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes (about 2 to 3 whistles), then switch off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally (this will take around 8-10 minutes), then remove the lid of the pressure cooker.
5. 5Use tongs to transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so, then cut into bite-sized cubes (or shred with two forks if you prefer).
6. 6Return the diced chicken back to the sauce in the pressure cooker and stir to combine.
7. 7Set aside, or transfer to an airtight container if making ahead.
8. 8--- For the Spicy BBQ Chicken Pasta: ---
9. 9Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F.
10. 10Bring a large pot (or use the same large deep sauté pan you’ll use for the sauce) of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and corn and cook until al-dente according to package instructions. Drain into a colander and set aside. (Optional: During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets if you prefer them to be slightly tender. I prefer my broccoli with a bit of crunch so add them directly to the sauce to cook. But it’s a matter of preference so feel free to add them to cook a little here now.)
11. 11Heat olive oil in a large deep sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant – about 2 minutes. Then add the red chilies and continue sautéing for another minute.
12. 12Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes and use the back of your spatula or wooden spoon to press down on the chunks to flatten them and release their juices (or you can use canned crushed tomatoes or passata instead). Stir to combine, then lower the heat to medium-low and gradually pour in the milk. Add the kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, ground cayenne, and crushed red pepper chili flakes to taste. Stir for a minute to combine.
13. 13Add the broccoli florets and Spicy BBQ Chicken, stir to combine and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the pasta and corn and toss for 4-5 minutes until the pasta has heated through and everything is fully coated in the sauce.
14. 14Switch of the heat and transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top evenly with the freshly grated sharp cheddar and Italian Blend (or mozzarella) cheese. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove the dish from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
15. 15To Serve: Garnish with chopped coriander and spring onion and serve!