Southwestern Chicken-Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

• Salt
• 12 ounces linguine
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 2 cups four-cheese Mexican blend
• 4 cups diced cooked chicken (from a rotisserie bird)
• Chopped cilantro, optional