Smoky Chicken and Pepper Penne
By Joe
Source: NYT Cooking.
Penne with seared cumin and smoked-paprika chicken, soft sweet peppers and fresh oregano, served with cool yoghurt.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Cook the pasta. Boil the penne in 3 litres salted water until al dente. Save about 80 ml of the water and drain.
- 2
Season the chicken. Toss the slices with half the cumin and paprika, the salt and pepper.
- 3
Sear. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the pan over high heat until it shimmers, add the chicken in one layer and cook about 5 min, turning now and then, until golden and 74 °C inside. The oil turns red from the paprika and carries the flavour into the pasta later. Lift the chicken onto a plate.
- 4
Peppers. Turn the heat to medium, add the rest of the oil, the peppers, jalapeño and the second lot of salt. Cook 10 min, tossing, until soft but holding their shape. Add the garlic and the remaining cumin and paprika for 1 min, then the vinegar.
- 5
Combine. Add the penne, the saved water and the chicken and toss until glossy and hot. Off the heat, toss in the oregano so it just wilts, and serve with spoonfuls of yoghurt.
Storage
Cool and refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water until piping hot (74 °C).
Why this label?
34.5 g protein for 591 kcal = 5.8 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 23% of the energy. High protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
- Total fat: 26.6 % of energy (limit ≤ 30%)
- Saturated fat: 5.2 % of energy (limit < 10%)
- Free sugars: 0 % of energy (limit < 10%)
- Salt: 1.38 g (limit ≤ 1.7 g)
- Fibre or fruit & veg: 5.5 g fibre / 120 g veg (limit ≥ 7.4 g fibre or 80 g fruit & veg)
Per serving, worked out from the nutrition table against our rule based on the WHO healthy diet guidance. Not endorsed by WHO.
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 3.7 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 194 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large frying pan (30 cm)
- slotted spoon
- instant-read thermometer
- large pot (at least 5 litres)
- colander or tongs
- heatproof mug for pasta water
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 591 kcal |
| Protein | 34.5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 72.4 g |
| of which sugars | 7.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 17.5 g |
| of which saturates | 3.4 g |
| Fibre | 5.5 g |
| Salt | 1.38 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.8 g meets High protein (≥ 5 g per 100 kcal = 20% of energy, and ≥ 10 g per serving)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
