Chicken and Corn Pasta with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Instructions

1. 1

   Finely chop the cilantro. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, lime juice, 10 g cilantro and 0.25 tsp salt until smooth. Crumble the feta. Drain the corn, measure 285 g and pat it dry.

2. 2

   Without rinsing the raw chicken, slice it horizontally into cutlets about 1.5 cm thick. Coat with 15 ml olive oil, the cumin, garlic powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 0.75 tsp chili powder and 0.5 tsp salt. Wash your hands and clean the board, knife and any surfaces that touched raw chicken.

3. 3

   Bring the water and remaining 1.25 tsp salt to a boil in a 4-litre pot over high heat. Add the dry short pasta and cook at a steady boil according to its package, usually 9–12 minutes, until just tender. Drain thoroughly. Cook the chicken alongside the pasta as described next.

4. 4

   While the water heats and pasta cooks, heat a 30 cm nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Cook the chicken in two uncrowded batches for about 3–4 minutes per side, reducing the heat if the spices darken too quickly. Check that every cutlet reaches 74°C/165°F in its thickest part. Transfer with clean tongs to a clean plate and rest for at least 5 minutes.

5. 5

   After removing the chicken, add the remaining 15 ml olive oil and the drained corn to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Stir in the remaining 0.5 tsp smoked paprika and 0.25 tsp chili powder during the final 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Cut the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces using a clean board and knife. Add the drained pasta, chicken and its resting juices, browned corn, feta and remaining 15 g cilantro to the dressing bowl. Toss thoroughly and serve warm.