With materials I already had in the pantry, I made this chicken fajita pasta recipe, which quickly became a household favorite.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 50 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9×13-inch baking dish |
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into chunks
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, or more to taste, minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (Optional)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bring 2 large pots of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the first pot, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Cook cauliflower in the second pot, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 3 to 6 minutes. Drain macaroni and cauliflower.
- Return 1 empty pot to the stove. Add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic to the hot oil and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in red pepper flakes. Add drained cauliflower, reduce heat to medium-low, and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked macaroni to the cauliflower mixture. Add 1 3/4 cups each mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses and stir until all ingredients are well combined. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Cheddar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until nice and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 318 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 32 g |
| Cholesterol | 32 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Sodium | 250 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |