Penne Pollo Asado

Monday was Cinco de Mayo, and boy did we have a feast!  I posted a photo on my Facebook page if you want to check it out!  Anyhow, even though we ate a ton of food, we had leftovers.  I came up with this recipe so I could use the leftover pollo asado that I had.  If you haven't made my Alfredo sauce before, or even if you have, this is a great new spin on it and, if you like a little spice, I promise you'll love it! (It's not overly spicy, my two year old loved it!)

Serves 4-6
Prep time under 30 mins.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick of butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp of paprika (you could add up to 2 tsp)
salt & pepper to taste (I find it doesn't need salt because the cheese is salty.)
1 pkg of pollo asado (from Trader Joes) or 2 chicken breasts, sliced in half so they
are thin, marinated for a few hours in 2 tbs taco seasoning & lime juice
non-stick cooking spray
cilantro to garnish

Directions:  Begin preparing your pasta according to pkg instructions.  While you are prepping the pasta, heat a grill pan (or non-stick skillet if you don't have one) over high heat.  Spray with non-stick spray, then place your chicken on the surface of the grill pan.  You may have to do this in several batches.  Cook the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side.  If should cook quickly since it is thinly sliced.  When all your chicken is cooked, set aside and cover with foil.

At this point, your pasta water is probably boiling and ready for you to add your pasta.  While the pasta is cooking, you can begin making the kicked up Alfredo sauce.  In a medium sauce pan over med-low heat add your butter and begin to melt it.  Add the cream cheese and whisk with the butter.  The cream cheese begins to soften, but it doesn't melt like the butter, so don't worry.  Add the garlic powder and paprika and slowly whisk in the milk.  It should begin to come together into a thick sauce.  When there are no lumps, slowly stir in the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. This takes about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

You should be almost ready to put everything together now!  If your pasta is done, drain and put into a large serving dish. (Tip: Heat your serving bowl in warm water for a few minutes first so that the pasta stays hot when you add it to the dish.)  Ladle sauce over the top until it evenly coats the pasta. Toss well!  Thinly slice your chicken and place on top of the pasta.  Garnish with lots of fresh cilantro and serve immediately. Enjoy!!