Let's Go To Tripps!

One of our favorite restaurants is Tripps, however it's located in Hickory, NC, where we went to school. We are now in Bloomington, IN. I decided to try to make their Santa Fe Chicken Pasta at home, it came out pretty close, it's not as creamy as Tripps', but that's because I cut out the cream in the sauce. I also added more snow peas, our favorite part of the dish. At the restaurant, you'd get maybe 10 in your bowl, but I changed that!

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

1 lb. penne
4 chicken breasts
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper
1 cup snow peas
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 can black beans
2 tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp + 1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
Extra Vigrin Olive Oil
Sour cream for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season heavily with salt when boiling. Drop in penne and cook for about 8-9 minutes, until al dente. In the last minute of cooking, drop the snap peas into the pot and let them blanch. Drain the pasta and peas and set aside.
Heat a grill pan over medium high. Season chicken breasts on each side with 1 tsp. each of salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Grill for about 6-7 minutes on each side, depending on how thick chicken is.
In a large skillet, sauté sliced onion, garlic, and red bell pepper over medium heat in about 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. After vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour. Toss to coat and cook through. Add milk and heat until thickened. Stir in most of cheddar cheese. When melted, stir in tomato sauce, black beans, and the remainder of the spices. When everything is warmed through and combined, add in pasta and peas.
Take chicken off the grill and slice on an angle. Plate pasta and arrange chicken over it. Top with cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.