Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken (Print)

Tender chicken and penne pasta in a rich tomato basil cream sauce finished with parmesan cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
08 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
09 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
11 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
12 - 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
13 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - Boil penne pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then set pasta aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts evenly with salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - Reduce skillet heat to medium. Add butter and chopped onion; sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add crushed tomatoes to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes to develop flavors.
06 - Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until sauce slightly thickens.
07 - Stir in parmesan cheese and half of the chopped basil until cheese melts. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Add sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss gently to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water as necessary to achieve a silky texture.
09 - Plate immediately, garnishing with remaining basil and additional parmesan if desired.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce is creamy without feeling heavy, and it comes together in under 30 minutes so you're not stuck cooking on a weeknight.
  • Fresh basil at the end makes it taste restaurant-quality, and people always assume you fussed more than you actually did.
  • The chicken stays tender because you're not overcooking it, and the pasta water trick keeps everything silky and cohesive.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, because that starch is what makes the sauce cling to the noodles instead of sliding off.
  • Tempering the cream means adding it slowly to a warm sauce while stirring, not dumping cold cream into boiling tomatoes or it will break into little flecks.
  • Fresh basil added at the end stays bright and aromatic, but stirred in too early it turns dark and bitter.
03 -
  • Invest in a microplane grater for the parmesan, because freshly grated cheese melts silky instead of clumpy.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks greasy, don't panic—whisk in a splash of pasta water and it will come back together smooth.
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