Grilled Chicken Fajita Fettucine

I found this recipe over on Mel's blog and decided it looked like something to try.

As I'm cooking it, there are a few changes I'd suggest:
1. Start the pasta sooner than the recipe suggests. My water was just boiling when everything else was finished. A good time might be about the time you put the chicken on the grill.
2. Don't slice the chicken before marinating. I wasn't even thinking about this, but it would have been so much easier to grill a whole breast and then slice afterward.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Fettuccine
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version

*Serves 4-6

Marinade Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar I used apple cider
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pasta Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into fajita-sized strips
1 tablespoon vegetable, canola or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips I used a cubanelle pepper
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
4-6 ounces crumbled feta cheese (Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or cheddar could easily be subbed here)
1 pound fettuccine
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
Sour cream for serving

In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Place the chicken strips in a ziploc bag, pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag. Refrigerate and marinate for 4-8 hours.

Grill the chicken strips until they are tender and cooked through (alternately, you could saute the chicken in a hot skillet to cook or broil in the oven). Set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.

Start a large pot of water to boil. When boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and the fettuccine. Cook until the noodles are tender, according to package directions. Drain.

While the water is heating and the noodles are boiling, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to give off their liquid and start to brown (by now, the onions should be nearly finished cooking). Add the bell peppers and saute until they are crisp tender. I like my bell peppers barely cooked so they retain their sweetness and crispness, but cook them however you like.

Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the chicken, vegetables, half of the cheese and cilantro. Serve the pasta with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, the remaining cheese and additional cilantro. For a prettier presentation (rather than serving from the pot), after combining all the ingredients in the pot, dump the pasta onto a large serving platter or bowl.