Southwest Chicken Cavatappi
with Green Pepper & Smoky Red Pepper Crema
- Milk
- Wheat
Now with leaner ground beef! You asked, we listened: This isn't the HelloFresh you remember. Bigger menu. Upgraded recipes. Increased portion sizes. More variety. The best way to cook dinner just got BETTER. The Southwest meets Italy in this skillet supper, which boasts bold flavors that’ll warm you from the inside out. There’s twisty cavatappi, bites of flavorful ground beef, and sautéed green pepper, all topped with a Mexican cheese blend, smoky red pepper crema, tangy sour cream, and hot sauce for a little kick. A sprinkle of scallion greens adds an extra pop of color. Yes, one skillet really is all that!
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
½ unit
Crushed Tomatoes
4 tablespoon
Smoky Red Pepper Crema
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Long Green Pepper
2 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
2 unit
Scallions
1 tablespoon
Southwest Spice Blend
½ cup
Mexican Cheese Blend
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Halve, deseed, and thinly slice green pepper into strips. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.
Meanwhile, heat a large drizzle of oil in a medium pan (use a large pan for 4) over medium-high heat. Add green pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 4-5 minutes.
Add a drizzle of oil to pan with green pepper; add beef* and scallion whites. Season with Southwest Spice Blend, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until beef is browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.
Add half the crushed tomatoes (all for 4 servings) and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds more.
Add ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (¾ cup for 4 servings) and stock concentrates to pan with beef mixture. Season with ½ tsp salt (1 tsp for 4) and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in drained cavatappi, sour cream, smoky red pepper crema, half the Mexican cheese blend (you’ll use the rest in the next step), 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings), and hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
Top beef cavatappi with remaining Mexican cheese blend; cover pan until cheese melts, 1-2 minutes. Top with scallion greens and serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the dish's taste, with some finding it particularly delicious. A few felt it needed something extra to enhance the flavor.
- Ease of prep: Customers found this pasta dish easy to make, with one calling it "delectable and easy" 🍲.
- Suggestions: Consider adding extra cheese for more flavor. Some preferred beef, while others enjoyed the chicken variation.
- Customization: Swapping green pepper for red worked well. Try dark meat chicken for richer flavor if using poultry.
