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This delicious and comforting pasta is fast and easy and comes together in no time! This recipe was born out of necessity: we are in the process of moving and we are cleaning out our fridge and freezer. I found cream and sun-dried tomatoes in our stash of extra food - é voilà! A fresh recipe!
Makes 6-8 servings; great for eating a filling dinner and having plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients
1-lb. box cellentani or penne pasta
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
3 large cloves garlic, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
1/4 cup shelf-stable parmesan cheese (not freshly grated)
pasta water, as needed
Instructions
1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat
2. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces using a sharp knife or kitchen shears
3. Set chicken aside and move to the next step
4. Preheat oil over medium heat in a saucepan at least 10-12 inches in diameter
5. Add diced yellow onion to the oil once preheated
6. Sauté onions for at least 5 minutes until they are translucent and fully softened
7. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter into the onions
8. Add the diced garlic to the butter and onions
9. Cook garlic for 30-45 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant
10. Add chicken to pan and sprinkle with ½ tsp each salt and pepper
11. Cook for 2 minutes and flip chicken over
12. Season chicken with ½ tsp salt and pepper, onion powder, oregano, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes
13. Stir chicken and seasonings and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes
14. Remove chicken from pan and set aside in a bowl, leaving drippings in the pan
15. Turn pan down to low
16. Before moving to the next step, add pasta to the boiling salted water and cook according to the al-dente directions on the box*
*Do not drain the pasta when it’s finished, the pasta water will be needed in a later step
17. In the same pan used to cook the chicken, melt 2 Tbsp. butter
18. When the butter is fully melted, add the flour and whisk together
19. Cook down the flour, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes; do not leave unattended and do not burn!
20. Add the heavy cream a little bit at a time, whisking to thoroughly combine
21. Allow the mixture to thicken for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken broth a little bit at a time, constantly whisking to incorporate
22. Gently stir in the diced sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan
23. Add the chicken and any accumulated drippings back to the saucepan
24. Stir the mixture to fully coat the chicken and continue cooking until chicken is reheated and fully cooked through; use a meat thermometer to ensure chicken is fully cooked
25. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked pasta to the completed sauce - do not drain the pasta water!
26. Add up to ¾ cup of pasta water to the sauce a little at a time, stirring continuously, until the desired consistency is reached; note that the sauce will thicken as it cools, so it’s better for the sauce to be slightly thin rather than too thick
27. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed - this will depend on the sodium content of the chicken broth and parmesan used, as well as how heavily you salted the pasta water
Serve the finished pasta with more red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and a small drizzle of oil from the sun dried tomatoes.
Pair with my next-level garlic bread!
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Gorgeous. Looks as good as it tastes.