Spicy Summer

Summer vacation's begun in our nest and that means days are filled with gardening, trips to the park and beach, and sidewalk art. It also means that sometimes there's not quite as much time for culinary adventures mid-week as I might want. However, that doesn't stop me from making sure there's wonderful food to be enjoyed. In fact, sometimes the time crunch really inspires something special. This time around, it led to a pasta dish that takes about a half hour to assemble and is great for summer entertaining, provided your guest like it hot:

If you are looking for a little less heat, simply reduce the number of chipotle peppers you use in this dish. That said, I found the heat and dairy really paired incredibly well together. I opted to use two different kinds of onions in the dish for some flavor and texture differences. You could use almost any vegetables in the dish, but I do recommend keeping the number and variety low as to allow the sauce itself to star in the dish. The smoky grilled chicken only highlights the sauce, although pork or even smoked sausage would also pair nicely with it. I liked the simple egg noodles that I chose for it, but penne or another short pasta shape would also work well in this dish.

You can opt to just have this dish on its own, but it will also do nicely with garlic bread or Texas toast, a simple green salad, and a glass of wine. Normally, I'd say stick with a white wine when you are serving a cream sauced pasta, but the heat and grilled meat in this dish will help it stand up to a light red, too. So knock yourself out and host a mid-week party without actually knocking yourself out! You can even make dessert a snap by serving a simple fruit sorbet. After the rich and spicy sauce, something light and fruity will be perfect. Enjoy and here's to enjoying a nice, spicy summer!