Butter Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Chicken breast or thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 0.5 cup Greek yogurt (for marinade)
• 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste (divided)
• 3 tbsp Garam masala spice mix (divided (includes cumin, coriander, turmeric, chili powder))
• 2 Lime (juiced; divided)
• 4 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 2 Shallots (finely diced)
• 2 cup Tomato purée (or one bottle of passata)
• 0.25 cup Cashew purée (soaked and blended cashews)
• 0.5 cup Heavy cream
• 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
• 1 tbsp Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
• 0.25 cup Fresh cilantro (chopped; for garnish)
• 0.25 cup Parmesan cheese (grated; for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with yogurt, half of the ginger-garlic paste, half of the spice mix, and the juice of one lime. Mix until the chicken is thoroughly coated.

2. 2

   Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the seasoned chicken on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through and slightly charred, about 15-20 minutes.

3. 3

   While the chicken bakes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve at least one cup of pasta water before draining.

4. 4

   In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced shallots and sauté until translucent and soft.

5. 5

   Stir in the remaining ginger-garlic paste and the rest of the spice mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

6. 6

   Pour in the tomato purée and cashew purée. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.

7. 7

   Add the heavy cream to the pan and stir until the sauce is a uniform orange color.

8. 8

   Toss the baked chicken into the sauce and mix well to coat.

9. 9

   Finish the sauce by stirring in fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and dried fenugreek leaves.

10. 10

    Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce along with two ladles of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously to emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta.

11. 11

    Plate the pasta and top with additional chicken pieces, fresh cilantro, and a dusting of grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

The cashew puree is essential for the authentic 'butter chicken' texture; soak raw cashews in warm water for 20 minutes before blending with a splash of water. If you don't have a pre-made spice mix, use a blend of garam masala, turmeric, and Kashmiri red chili powder.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• fusion
• pasta
• chicken
• indian
• italian
• dinner