Dinner - Southwestern Chicken Fettuccine

Today the hubby and I were out shopping most of the afternoon for camping and backpacking gear (the backpacks were his Christmas present...I'm sure that will be in an upcoming episode of our adventures!) so I didn't feel like putting much effort into dinner. Pasta always seems to be an easy crowd-pleaser with minimum effort involved so I scrounged up the ingredients for a simple, quick southwestern chick fettuccine. 

The ingredient list is actually very simple:

- creamed corn
- fettuccine sauce (yes, I buy the jarred kind for a quick meal - Rago Roasted Garlic Parmesan is my fav)
- bow-tie pasta (or whatever your favorite pasta is!)
- roasted red peppers 
- jarred jalapenos (I like them pre-diced because they're easier to cook with and you don't have to worry about scrubbing your hands before touching your face, but if you have whole ones just dice them up!)
- red onion
- parmesan cheese (to garnish)

First, get your water salted and boiling, then throw in your pasta. I used half the box in this recipe, but I like a large sauce-per-pasta ratio so use however much you think you will need!

Chop about a quarter of the onion and 4-5 red pepper strips.

 Saute the onions in some olive oil for a few minutes, until they start to get translucent. Add the roasted red pepper strips and a tablespoon of the diced jalapenos.

To the sauteing vegetables, add a half teaspoon of each oregano, cumin, paprika (I used Target's smoked paprika...probably one of the best spices I own), salt, and pepper. If you need any extra liquid, you can use lime juice (my preference here), water, or chicken broth. Or Tequila...I suppose you could use tequila too...

I also cooked up some chicken for this recipe and threw the veggies in with them...if you are a non-meat-eating person, just omit this step :) 

Let everything simmer for 15 minutes or so, while the pasta finishes cooking. Once it's al dente, drain the pasta and add half the jar of sauce, half the can of corn (the other half will be a yummy addition to a meal later this week!), and the veggie/chicken mix. Cook for another few minutes until everything is piping hot!

Serve with parmesan cheese and some bread...and of course your favorite white wine. Bon appetit!