Big Batch Creamy Paprika Chicken Cavatappi
with Dark Meat Chicken, Bell Peppers & Onion
- Wheat
- Milk
- Soy
Packed with smoky and umami flavors, this luxurious dish is date- and guest-worthy! You’ll sear onions, peppers, and dark meat chicken seasoned with paprika to golden-brown perfection, then add sweet-umami Vidalia onion paste, cream cheese, and lemon for a craveable, velvety sauce. Toss with curly cavatappi and finish with lemon zest, parsley, and Parmesan for a dish everyone at the table will love.
Ingredients
½ ounce
Vidalia Onion Paste
2 unit
Onion
20 ounce
Diced Skinless Dark Meat Chicken
12 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
6 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Cream of Chicken Concentrate
(Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat)
1 unit
Lemon
6 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
2 teaspoon
Paprika
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
¼ ounce
Parsley
2 unit
Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Halve, peel, and slice onions into ¼-inch strips. Halve, core, and slice bell peppers into ¼-inch strips. Roughly chop parsley. Zest and quarter lemon.
Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water (3 cups for 8 servings), then drain. Reserve pot.
While pasta cooks, open packages of chicken* and drain off any excess liquid.
Once pasta is done, heat a large drizzle of oil over medium-high heat in pot used for pasta. Add chicken and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 2-4 minutes.
Add another drizzle of oil to pot; stir in onions, bell peppers, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions and bell peppers have softened and chicken is cooked through, 4-5 minutes more.
Stir cream of chicken concentrate, Vidalia onion paste, cream cheese, half the parsley, 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water, 1 TBSP butter, juice from half the lemon, and as many chili flakes as you like into pot (use 1¾ cups reserved pasta cooking water and 2 TBSP butter for 8 servings). Cook, stirring constantly, until everything is combined, 30-60 seconds.
Transfer drained cavatappi to pot with sauce; toss to coat. (TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce.) Turn off heat.
Stir in lemon zest and half the Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Divide pasta between shallow bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan and remaining parsley. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many found it mild; consider adding extra seasoning for more depth. Some enjoyed the lemony notes 🍋.
- Ease of prep: Quick to prepare, though a few found the timing tricky with pasta cooking separately from other ingredients.
- Suggestions: Try roasting the bell peppers for enhanced flavor. Consider reducing pasta water for a thicker, creamier sauce.
- Portions: Makes a large batch, great for leftovers or sharing with family and friends.
- Texture: Some preferred the chicken chopped rather than in larger pieces. A few found the veggies needed longer cooking time.
Reviews from our home cooks
I liked the flavors and the set up was there! I feel like the directions made it a little too chaotic to keep up with and the amount of pasta water to keep and use was a bit much... my sauce that was supposed to cover the pasta was super runny and it would have been perfect thick and covered. But still a good taste with added adjustments
I loved this recipe! Only change I made was roasting the bell pepper like the other cavatappi recipes and it worked like a dream.
Felt like onions and peppers needed a longer cooking time (on their own) with a bit of browning. Distractingly crunchy.
Amazing! I didn't know we needed this in our lives. Everything hit the spot - seasoning was on point!
Interesting flavors (in a good way). My teenage son loved it and he is a picky eater.
The dinner was delicious for the two nights we were able to enjoy this bounty of flavors.
Now this is a meal that will last for two days. Delicious and easy
This knocked our socks off! And we loved the leftovers!
Tasty had family over for this very large batch, family liked it as well very tasty
I think that it could use more seasoning and I feel like it was too much onion. I was hoping for a pasta version of chicken paprikash, this was more like a very mild version of a cajun pasta that I've made on my own.
