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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken and Mozzarella


  • Author: Dulcia

Ingredients

Scale

3 garlic cloves, minced πŸ§„
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes πŸŒžπŸ…
2 tablespoons olive oil πŸ«’
1 lb chicken breast tenderloins, sliced πŸ—
ΒΌ teaspoon salt πŸ§‚
¼ teaspoon paprika 🌢️
1 cup half and half (or use Β½ cup heavy cream + Β½ cup milk) πŸ₯›
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella) πŸ§€
8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta) 🍝
1 tablespoon basil 🌿
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 🌢️
Β½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more πŸ’§
ΒΌ teaspoon salt to taste πŸ§‚


Instructions

1️⃣ 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. 🍳

2️⃣ Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the skillet, leaving the olive oil. 🌞

3️⃣ 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. πŸ”₯

4️⃣ Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta. 🍝

5️⃣ Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and add them back to the skillet with chicken. πŸ…

6️⃣ 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. πŸ₯˜

7️⃣ Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms. 🍢

8️⃣ Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the cream sauce, and stir to combine. 🍲

9️⃣ Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least ΒΌ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. 🌿

πŸ”Ÿ 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. πŸ’§

1️⃣1️⃣ 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. 🌢️