Alright, folks, let’s talk about this California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Tequila Fettuccine recipe I tried out. I’ve always been a fan of CPK, and their chicken tequila fettuccine is a classic, so I figured, why not give it a shot at home?
First things first, I gathered all the ingredients. We’re talking chicken breast, fettuccine pasta, tequila of course, some veggies like bell peppers and onions, and a bunch of other stuff for the sauce. It seemed like a lot at first, but hey, good food takes effort, right?
I started by prepping the chicken. Now, I learned a neat trick a while back about pounding chicken breasts to make them cook evenly. So, I grabbed my meat mallet and went to town on those chicken breasts, getting them nice and thin. Felt kinda therapeutic, to be honest.
- Prepping the Chicken:
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- Pounded chicken breasts for even cooking.
- Seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little chili powder.
- Cooking the Pasta:
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- Boiled water in a large pot.
- Cooked fettuccine until al dente, then drained.
- Making the Sauce:
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- Sauteed onions and bell peppers until softened.
- Added garlic and cooked for another minute.
- Deglazed the pan with tequila (the fun part!).
- Stirred in heavy cream, lime juice, and cilantro.
- Simmered until slightly thickened.
While the sauce was simmering, I cooked the chicken in a separate pan until it was golden brown and cooked through. Once that was done, I sliced it up into strips. Fettuccine’s gotta have that pasta, so I boiled some water and cooked it until it was al dente.
Next up, the sauce. I sauteed some onions and bell peppers, then added some garlic. Now for the fun part – I deglazed the pan with tequila! That sizzle sound and the aroma? Awesome. Then I stirred in some heavy cream, lime juice, and cilantro and let it all simmer together until it got a little thicker.
Putting it all together
Finally, it was time to combine everything. I added the cooked pasta and chicken to the sauce, tossed it all together, and let it heat through. I have to say, it smelled amazing at this point. Served it up, sprinkled some extra cilantro and Parmesan cheese on top, and dug in.
The verdict? Pretty darn good! It wasn’t exactly like CPK’s version, maybe I will add some spinach next time and try a whole wheat pizza for the base, but it was definitely tasty and satisfying. I even had some grilled vegetables and pine nuts on hand, maybe I’ll make a pizza next time. It’s a recipe I’ll be making again, for sure. Maybe next time I’ll even try making bacon-wrapped buffalo chicken poppers as an appetizer. Who knows? Cooking’s all about experimenting, right?
