Cheesecake Factory Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta with asparagus, peas, and honey glazed chicken in a spicy chipotle parmesan cream sauce.
From this creamy, spicy pasta to Pasta da Vinci to Chicken Bellagio, I’ve been recreating and posting my favorite Cheesecake Factory Recipes for many years. My copycat collection isn’t quite as big as their infamous menu yet, but someday it will be!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta is sort of a sleeper hit at The Cheesecake Factory. I still remember the first time I heard about the combination of ingredients and to say I was confused is an understatement. Asparagus and peas plus spicy honey glazed chicken plus a chipotle parmesan cream sauce? But let me tell you – it works!
The sauce is a creamy mix of Parmesan and spicy adobo which is tempered by a pretty hearty serving of heavy cream. The just barely cooked asparagus and green peas make the dish still feel fresh and the just barely noticeable honey component takes the edge off those chili peppers. It’s a symphony of flavors that come together against all odds for one amazingly delicious dish you just have to try to believe.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Cut your chicken into even 1-inch pieces so that they cook quickly and evenly. You could also do strips that are ½ inch wide.
- Pasta: I used penne pasta so it resembles the original dish but you can also use large shells, farfalle, or other short pasta that will catch that amazing sauce.
- Chicken Seasoning: To help tenderize the chicken and add a punch of flavor that will come together, I used lemon juice. You’ll also want to use salt and pepper.
- Olive Oil and Butter: The veggies get softened in butter first to build some rich flavor. Adding olive oil to the pan to cook the chicken keeps the butter from burning so you get the buttery flavor and a nice sear on the chicken.
- Honey: The quick honey glaze adds a warm sweetness that breaks up the spicy and rich flavors.
- Adobo Peppers in Sauce: I use just the sauce, if you want to kick up the heat even more use just one pepper instead and mash it into a paste before adding it to the sauce.
- Aromatic Veggies: A “fajita” mix of yellow and red bell peppers plus the onion add a delicious flavorful veggie base. And of course plenty of garlic to really punch up the flavor!
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream makes a rich, silky sauce that just clings to every part of the dish.
- Peas and Asparagus: Quickly blanched asparagus and frozen peas add a crisp freshness to balance the richness and spicy heat of the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Some nutty Parmesan cheese adds saltiness to the sauce and helps thicken it.
- Garnish: Serve this like the Cheesecake Factory with some tortilla strips and fresh chopped cilantro garnish.
Step by Step Instructions
- Blanch Asparagus
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Blanch your asparagus in the water for a couple minutes. Strain (without draining the pot of water) and run under cold water in a colander and transfer to a large bowl.
- Cook Pasta
In the same pot of boiling water, add your pasta. Cook until 1 minute shy of al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Add it to the bowl with the asparagus.
- Marinate Chicken
Add the chicken pieces to separate bowl with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and set aside.
- Saute Onions and Peppers
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onions and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook another 60 seconds.
- Cook the Chicken
Transfer the veggie mixture to a plate and in the same skillet add the olive oil. Turn the heat to medium high and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.
- Honey Glaze
Stir the honey into the chicken, letting it coat it all over. Cook for a few seconds, not too long, and then add the bell pepper and onion mixture back to the skillet. Stir to coat again.
- Cream Sauce
Add the adobo sauce, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to thicken and absorb the flavors.
- Combine
Stir the pasta, asparagus, and frozen peas into the chicken and sauce. Coat everything really well and heat until the peas are warmed through.
- Garnish and Serve
Remove from the heat and serve immediately. You can garnish it with tortilla strips and chopped cilantro, or other favorite pasta toppings.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast , boneless skinless, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper sauce , from canned adobo peppers
- 1 yellow bell pepper , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 pound fresh asparagus , the thinner the better
- 6 ounces parmesan cheese , shredded
Optional Garnish
- fresh cilantro leaves , chopped
- tortilla chip strips
Instructions
- Set your water to boil for your pasta.
- Add the asparagus to the pasta water and boil for 2-3 minutes or until tender crisp.
- Shock it with cold water through a colander.
- Add the pasta to a minute shy of the directions and drain into the same bowl as the asparagus but don’t rinse.
- In a bowl with your chicken add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit as you cook the rest of the dish.
- In a large skillet add the butter and melt over medium heat.
- Add the bell peppers and onions and cook until just translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook an extra minute.
- Remove the vegetables and add in the olive oil.
- Add the chicken to the pan and turn the heat up to medum-high.
- Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per each side.
- Add in the honey and stir, cooking an additional 5 seconds.
- Add the bell pepper mixture back to the pan
- Stir well, then add in the adobo sauce, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes then add in the pasta, asparagus and frozen green peas.
- Stir to coat everything and serve with any garnishes you’d like (Cheesecake Factory uses tortilla strip chips and cilantro).
Nutrition
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Kitchen Tools
- Cast Iron Skillet: I love my trusty heavy duty cast iron skillet for one pan pasta dishes like this one. It gives the best sear and helps build so much flavor.
- Chef’s Knife: A good quality chef’s knife is a must have for any kitchen to chop veggies and raw meat easily for quick prep.
- Large Pot: I used a large pot to blanch the asparagus and boil the pasta to save on clean up!
How to Store
- Store: Let the pasta cool to room temp then transfer it to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: It is best to reheat this pasta over low medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of broth, cream or whole milk to loosen it up.
- Freeze: Once cooled, store leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating for best results.
Related Posts
More Cheesecake Factory Copycat Recipes
Great recipe! We have varying levels of “heat” lovers here, so I didn’t use as much of the Adobe as I would have, but I did add a little smoked paprika at the end and t hat set it off nicely. Think I might try with shrimp the next time….delicious!
Hi Kim! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and I’m positive the shrimp version will come out fantastic.
Thank you <3
Great dish! I added in sliced sun-dried tomatoes just as I do when I order it at CCF. Absolutely amazing. Only disappointment I had was that it wasn’t spicy enough. I can adjust next time. Great dish tho! Bravo!!
This is one of my favorite dishes at the Cheesecake Factory!
You nailed it, it tastes just like it and it is very inexpensive. You can feed 5 people for the same $$ you pay for this dish at the restaurant. Plus you can adjust the heat to your liking, not everyone in my family likes it as hot as I do.
Thank you
This is definitely more budget friendly than going out. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Crazy! This is an amazing recipe. I love cheesecake factory. And so glad yours is pretty damn close. Thanks!
I make it almost every week. This is my FAVORITE dish from Cheesecake Factory and this recipe is spot on! I am truly amazed by the recipe every single time I make it. Such a hit. Thank you for sharing this, my family and I love it. Can’t get enough of it!
This makes me so happy! Thanks for coming back to let me know, Isabelle.
First time trying this recipe with whatever ingredients I can gather from the pantry. I didn’t have any asparagus or peas or parmesan so I added some cheddar and tomatoes. Cooking for iftar is a challenge as you cannot taste the food! This is a delicious dish that I can eat again and again.
I’m so glad you customized it to what you had on hand. Thanks for the 5 stars, Biskut.
Love this dish so much! Turns out amazing every time! I just made it for friends who recently had a baby and unfortunately it didn’t work for us to take it over tonight. Any experience with freezing and reheating? Thank you!
I usually serve it immediately but it should be fine freezing. When reheating, I’d suggest adding a bit of water or more chipotle pepper sauce to help moisten it back up. Hope this helps!
So delicious! This is literally my favorite meal to make! Crowd pleaser ??????
This was a really good dinner! I will definitely add it to the rotation, especially adding crushed chili peppers for some heat. Chef’s kiss!!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Kay!
I am not a leave a comment type of person but OMG!!! This recipe was amazing and not as hard as i made it out in my head! I read the comments before making it so I added a little more of the Chipotle sauce and it had great taste and color. I also added the parmesean cheese in a little at a time so there would be no clumps. I will definitely be making this again and again and again! ?
Yay!! I’m so happy to know you loved it so much to leave a comment. You just made my day!
This recipe is perfect! My bf and I used to go to Cheesecake Factory to get this, since he loves it I decided to cook it for him and it came out great!
Now his family ask me to cook it every time.
I love this! Thanks for the 5 stars, Lucia.
Just here to give you your props! This is my go to dish at Cheesecake Factory & with all that’s going on—I’ve been trying to prepare more things at home. I searched high & low for what I believed to be the most accurate recipe & I tried yours today and I’m blown away! Thank you so much for sharing!
Reviewers: I used an air fryer for both chicken & asparagus (follow the necessary instructions for your brand)
Heat level: is subjective—taste as you follow and adjust according to your pallet. (I kinda think that’s why she recommends adding a lower dosage of chipotle sauce—-if you don’t want extreme heat…it could ruin your dish).
I got the desired color because I turned up the heat. Don’t try this & ruin her recipe just for the color…because I love spicy foods & I kept tasting as I prepared it.
This is a great recipe to follow & adjust as necessary. It worked out perfectly for me! I can’t wait to explore her other recipes.
Thanks for all of your feedback, Kimberly! I’m so glad you love it so much.
Amazing recipe, this is one that everyone in my family loves! I doubled the chipotle pepper sauce and increased the milk/heavy cream amounts to get a spicier and creamier pasta. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the feedback, Sue. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it.
This was so good and really did taste like the Cheesecake Factory dish. Happy we tried it, can’t wait to make it again.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Caitlyn.
Made this tonight and it was delicious!! Tastes so much like the real dish! Plenty of leftovers for my work week 🙂 Will be looking at your other recipes soon! Thanks!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Meghan.
Hi I love this recipe!!!! One of my favorites but how much is one serving? Is it a cup?
Yes, 1 serving is equal to 1 cup. So glad it’s one of your favorites.
Loved it! Taste almost exactly like the pasta at the restaurant! Family loved it too, it’s a keeper …. I did add sausage and it was very yummy! Thank you!
Made for the first time tonight, was amazing! Came out soupier than expected. What should we do different next time?
Maybe it needed to be cooked longer to allow to thicken before adding the pasta. The pasta should have soaked up any extra liquid though. Glad you still enjoyed it!
I just made this dish 2 days in a row!!! Omg soooo ah mazing! My husband and I love it!
Fantastic!
Delicious!! This one is definitely going into my rotation. I didn’t have the frozen peas, but other than that, I followed the recipe and it turned out great. There was a little kick to it, but definitely not too spicy for my little ones to enjoy as well.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you all enjoyed it, Ava.
Very yummy! ! I added sliced mushrooms and cooked them separately. I also added sliced smoked sausage.
Love this! I only used one tbsp chipotle pepper as that was all I had left and it was great!
It’s a keeper!
This is literally my favorite dish of all time. I am currently dieting and i have found out a few things to still enjoy my guilty pleasure which is this recipe. 1). Following the instructions exactly, I get WAY more than 6 servings of food. Maybe I just don’t eat a lot, but I am able to get about 9 servings from this one recipe and am able to still eat this pasta for only about 600 calories per serving. 2). I am a single woman so I can’t ever eat all of this at once. I typically make the entire recipe, then freeze 2/3rds of it. Just reheat like normal and it tastes just as amazing a month later. 3). To even further the ‘healthiness’ of the recipe, I use low carb penne, more vegetables and chicken, and double the adobe sauce (extra spicy) on purpose. This allows for you to get alllll the flavor without so many carbs. Thank you so much for this recipe!
You are so kind! Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe, I love this one too! Happy Thanksgiving!
I made this last night and it tasted really good! However we thought something was missing in comparison to CCF and the color was more white. How did you make yours more orange looking in the picture above?
It could’ve just been that your chipotle sauce wasn’t as strong or it didn’t simmer long enough to darken. I’m so glad you enjoyed it either way.
I omitted the heavy cream and substituted it with 1 10oz Sabra chipotle hummus because I’m dairy free. You will not miss the cream AT ALL it tasted just like the restaurant!
Yay!!
Great idea! I will have to try that next time.
Excellent recipe Sabrina. It was my first time trying it and I have not had this at CCF. It turned out well…. I was not able to get the Adobe sauce so I just used Chipotle powder and added a quick dash of liquid smoke to compensate. Family loved it! I liked that they ate the asparagus without a fuss. Next time, I will add more cheese to thicken it just a touch more…mainly because I cannot mix the pasta and sauce for my family. The whole family agreed that it was a keeper! P.s. they never all agree on a new recipe
The first two times I made this dish it turned out amazing! I used whole milk instead of heavy cream and the favor was still very rich! However, the past two times I’ve made the dish the milk ends up curdling and I cannot figure out why. I have followed the steps just as mentioned and still no luck. I got my aunts to try it at home as well and they complained about the milk curdling as well. Any advice on how to prevent the milk from curdling?
The whole milk is the issue so I’m surprised it didn’t split before. It needs heavy cream to allow to thicken and come together. Make sure to use heavy cream next time. You can always make your own by mixing 1 1/3 cups milk with 2/3 cups melted butter.
I may be missing it in the instructions but at what point does the honey get added to the mix?
Thanks!
Step 12 🙂
So good! Tastes just like the Cheesecake Factory! But this was more moist which is a good thing. I added some seasoning to chicken and pasta and didn’t cook the asparagus with it because we hate it lol. Great job! Thank you 🙂
This recipe is AWESOME! My favorite dish ever is Cheesecake Factory chipotle chicken pasta and we haven’t eaten ANYTHING not made at home (daughter is high risk with immune deficiencies so we can’t take any risk). This recipe tastes exactly like the dish prepared at Cheesecake Factory. I decided to make a double recipe and it looked like a lot of cream at first so I skimped a little on the second half but DONT do that.. it may seem like a lot of cream but once you add the pasta it will soak it up. I used Whole Foods Frontera Chipotle Pepper Adobo (I used 3 TBS instead of 2 for each recipe) and the spice Amount turned out perfect. My husband and daughter don’t like too much spice but the end result of this recipe was a favorite for BOTH of them. My advice: follow this recipe exactly (only alter based on your brand of adobo chipotle sauce). Thank you so much Sabrina for this recipe!!
Thanks for the wonderful review, Allison. I’m glad it was a hit!
I love making this! The only thing I struggle with is how much food there is (definitely a good thing). What size pan do you use?
I just used a large skillet. I’m glad you love it so much!
The recipe was delicious! Thank you! Do you think it would be possible to use coconut cream instead of heavy cream?
I haven’t tested it but I don’t see why not. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Not like cheesecake factory at all!!!!!!!
It’s good, but I feel like something’s missing. I used to work at CCF and this was one of my favorite meals. Theirs is definitely golden brown like your picture, but mine wasn’t brown at all. With 2 cups of cream, it’s going to be primarily white. The only thing to make it brown is possibly the adobo, but it wasn’t nearly enough to color the sauce.
I think is the Tabasco chipotle version I work there too and I always see that in the dry storage .
So I’ve used this recipe for years and it’s always tasted great, but mine never looks that good. It’s all white and doesn’t get any color despite the fact that I put ALL the adobo in it. If I let it simmer too long my cheese coagulates into a large glob and won’t disperse. Why can I not get this right? I know Parmesan is temperature sensitive and I keep it low low and still get a mess of cheese clumping nastiness half the time I cook this dish. It’s sooo frustrating because it’s an amazing dish that I have made perfectly before.
Followed the directions step by step. It was delicious! I used brined boneless skinless thighs so I eliminated the added salt. You must be sure your chicken chucks are well drained of excess water so they will brown properly and you’ll get the color you want. Next time I’ll kick up with 3 or 4 TB of the chipotle sauce. Yummm!
Thanks for the feedback, TJ.
Your step 4 is confusing
You’ll want to cook the pasta as directed on the package but 1 minute less. Drain into the same bowl as the asparagus but don’t rinse it. Hope this clears it up for you.
Just want to say I’ve been using your recipe for the past couple years and it has always tasted better than Cheesecake Factory. After making this I have always felt how dry cheesecake factories version was. My only add is that i put more chipolte sauce in it! Thanks for this!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it so much, Shay.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it for dinner yesterday and it was delicious. It was very flavorful and to me, tasted just like the version at Cheesecake Factory. Your directions were very direct and easy to follow. I will definitely make again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe! Quick question how long should one cook the heavy cream for?
For about 3-4 minutes. So glad you love it so much!
Hi this recipe sounds awesome but I live in New Zealand and I am unable to get the canned Adobo peppers for the chipotle sauce. Would I be able to substitute with any Chipotle Sauce?
Thank you
Sure, it might alter the taste but you can use whatever you can find. Good luck!
Do I need to cook the frozen sweet peas before adding? If not, how long should I let it simmer after adding? We have cooked it before, it waS good, but the sweet peas were still a little hard
No need to cook them prior. I usually just leave them out on my counter until I’m ready to add them. You could thaw them a little longer if needed. Glad you’re enjoying the dish so much.
I read the reviews stating that this pasta tasted exactly like the Cheescake Factory pasta and I didn’t believe them. They’re right! It tastes exactly the same. I made it for my mom, sister’s, and mother-in-law on Mother’s day and they all loved it. I plan on making this at least once a month. Thank you so much!
That’s amazing! Thanks for coming back to let me know, Laura.
Made this tonight with light cream and a light yogurt butter — was so great!! Thank you!!
All the grocers are out of heavy whipping cream…what can I sub?
Look for heavy cream too. If still no luck, combine 1/4 cup melted butter with 3/4 cup milk and mix thoroughly.
Thie recipe was so amazing! Nice Job Sabrina
Thanks!
I never have had this from the cheesecake factory because I’m vegan, but I tried your recipe and made it dairy free and it was literally the best thing I’ve ever eaten. My husband and I were so happy there were leftovers too!
That’s amazing! So glad it was easily adaptable!
I usually order this meal from the Cheesecake Factory. Due to the pandemic, I try to only order out once every 3 weeks. I ordered this meal recently and the meal was so messed up that I really couldn’t bare to eat it (and I’m not even a picky eater). The meal wasn’t up to par as it usually is due to lack of staff, regular chefs…etc in which I understood after being given that reason. I still had a taste for it so I looked up this recipe. I just made it and it taste just like what I was used to getting from the Cheesecake Factory! The color was a bit lighter (due to the peppers not simmering long enough based on the previous comment) but not concerned with color. Thanks for posting this!
wow!wow! I constantly fall asleep before I reach the end of the recipe…..bad luck, it’s just toooooo long , if I ever get to the end, it’s evening and I don’t need to cook any more…
Mine didn’t come out with the same orangish hue. It’s whiter. I used the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Is that what’s different? It’s still delish, but not as red and creamy as I imagined.
Glad you still enjoyed it. The lighter color could be that your chipotle sauce wasn’t as strong or maybe it didn’t simmer long enough to darken.
Hi! I plan on making this meal this weekend, but it only requires 2 chicken breasts. Does that equal a pound and, if not, what modification should i do if I want to use a pound?
thank you!
Each breast is abut 5-6 ounces. You can either up the ingredients to 9 servings or just be okay with your dish having more chicken. Either way, it’ll work. Enjoy!
I have to start by saying my husband exclusively orders this from the Cheesecake Factory. Literally for years, without fail, only the spicy chicken chipotle pasta. Living life like it is now, I wanted to give him a special meal, and found your recipe after googling. According to the hubs, IT IS PERFECT. He cannot believe it. He is happy, so I am happy. Delicious recipe, thank you 🙂
Yay!! This makes me so happy. Thanks for coming back to let me know, Kate.
My husband and I loved this! I didn’t have asparagus or peas so I used spinach. I’ll use those next time. This was delicious. It had plenty sauce. It was a little sweet and a little spicy. Just perfect for me:) My husband wants me to add more spice next time (he always wants food extra hot). However, every time he took a bite he let me know how much he liked it and wanted it again. I think we will try it with shrimp too:) Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know how much you both enjoyed it!
This recipe is FABULOUS!!! My boyfriend and I both love this dish and always order it when we go to Cheesecake. It was exactly like the original! Only thing, I cut the recipe in half, but was overzealous with the pasta so there wasn’t enough sauce. I just whipped up a little more sauce on the side and fixed that problem. The chicken was so tender and delicious!! My sauce was also a little lighter, but that was explained in the previous comments. Will definitely continue to make this. Now if only I could make my tortilla strips like theirs!!