Culinary SOS: California Pizza Kitchen’s chicken tequila fettuccine

Dear SOS: My co-worker raves about the chicken tequila fettucine from California Pizza Kitchen. Her birthday is coming up in February, and we would like to make the dish for a girls’ night in to celebrate. Do you have the recipe?

Janelle Webb

Bakersfield

Dear Janelle: Happy birthday to your friend, and have fun celebrating! California Pizza Kitchen was happy to share its recipe, which we’ve adapted here.

California Pizza Kitchen’s chicken tequila fettuccine

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from California Pizza Kitchen.

1 pound dry spinach fettuccine

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

2 tablespoons minced jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins removed if desired

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons gold tequila

2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/4 pounds chicken breast, cut into ¾-inch pieces

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Drain, very lightly oil (to keep the pasta from sticking) and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, cook one-third cup of the cilantro (reserve the rest for garnish), garlic and jalapeño with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until aromatic and the garlic is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thickened to a paste-like consistency, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, drizzle the soy sauce over the chicken pieces and set aside to marinate for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the onion and red, yellow and green peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have wilted. Stir in the chicken and soy sauce, then the tequila/lime paste and cream.

5. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, several minutes. When the sauce is done, stir in the fettuccine and remaining cilantro.

6. Serve the dish family-style or plate on individual serving dishes. Serve immediately.

Each of 6 servings: 664 calories; 32 grams protein; 61 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 32 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 151 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 616 mg sodium.