Spicy Cashew Pasta With Crispy Chicken
Make this spicy cashew pasta with crispy chicken for a satisfying, high protein dinner you can cook in under 30 minutes.
Equipment
- Pasta pot
- Cast iron pan 10-inch
Ingredients
- ½ pound fettuccine
- ½ pound chicken breast pounded to quarter-inch thickness
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 large eggs beaten well
- ⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 cup spicy cashew dressing
- ¼ cup pasta water
- Vegetable oil
- Fresh parsley chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions.
- In the meantime, prepare the crispy chicken. In one shallow bowl or dish, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. In a second shallow dish, beat the eggs. In a third shallow dish, add the breadcrumbs.Coat the chicken well in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Gently shake off any excess before transferring the chicken from one dish to the next, and make sure the chicken is completely coated.
- Heat about a quarter inch of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the chicken and fry until crispy and golden brown on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes total (flip halfway through).Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 2 to 3 minutes, or until the pasta is done cooking.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water (about a quarter cup), then drain and return to the pot. Stir the cashew dressing into the pasta until it’s well-coated, adding a splash or two of the pasta water to help the sauce cling to the noodles if needed.
- Finally, slice the crispy chicken into thin strips and serve over the pasta. Drizzle extra cashew sauce over the crispy chicken and optionally garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Spicy cashew sauce: We use our favorite spicy cashew dressing recipe for this creamy cashew pasta sauce! There's not really a great store-bought alternative for this, so we recommend following our recipe linked above. This sauce is quite spicy, so if you want less heat reduce the amount of red pepper flakes (or omit them entirely).
Pan frying chicken: Make sure to pound the chicken breast thin before coating it. This will help it become super crispy without overcooking, and make sure each piece of chicken cooks at the same rate (if you've split your chicken breast into smaller pieces). Also - make sure the oil is hot before you add the chicken to the pan! If the chicken sits in not quite hot enough oil for too long before it really starts to fry, the breadcrumbs will soak up too much oil and become soggy.
Serving suggestions: This spicy cashew pasta is the perfect dinner for when you’re craving a comforting, high protein meal. Enjoy it by itself, or serve it with a side salad or Italian bread if you want a little something extra.
Storing and reheating: Store leftover cashew pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. We recommend storing leftover crispy chicken in a separate container from the pasta so that it doesn’t become soggy from being in contact with the pasta sauce. The chicken will also stay good for up to 5 days.
To reheat, combine pasta and crispy chicken in a bowl and microwave single servings for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Or, reheat crispy chicken in an air fryer or toaster oven until warmed through, then add on top of microwaved pasta.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 891kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 236mg | Sodium: 780mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1043IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 7mg
