Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, minced π§
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes ππ
2 tablespoons olive oil π«
1 lb chicken breast tenderloins, sliced π
ΒΌ teaspoon salt π§
ΒΌ teaspoon paprika πΆοΈ
1 cup half and half (or use Β½ cup heavy cream + Β½ cup milk) π₯
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella) π§
8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta) π
1 tablespoon basil πΏ
ΒΌ teaspoon red pepper flakes πΆοΈ
Β½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more π§
ΒΌ teaspoon salt to taste π§
Instructions
1οΈβ£ In a large skillet, sautΓ© garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar) for 1 minute on medium heat until the garlic is fragrant. π³
2οΈβ£ Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the skillet, leaving the olive oil. π
3οΈβ£ Add sliced chicken (salted and lightly covered in paprika for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat. π₯
4οΈβ£ Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta. π
5οΈβ£ Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and add them back to the skillet with chicken. π
6οΈβ£ To make creamy pasta sauce, add half-and-half (see substitution for half-and-half in the Recipe Notes section below) and Mozzarella cheese to the skillet, and bring to a gentle boil. π₯
7οΈβ£ Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms. πΆ
8οΈβ£ Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the cream sauce, and stir to combine. π²
9οΈβ£ Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least ΒΌ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. πΏ
π If the creamy sauce is too thick: Add about Β½ cup of reserved cooked pasta water to the skillet to thin it out. Do not add all of the pasta water at once – you might need less or more of it. π§
1οΈβ£1οΈβ£ Season the chicken pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine. πΆοΈ