Creamy Italian Pasta (with cream cheese)
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and Italian seasoning
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (you can also sub canola if it's what you have)
Pasta/Sauce
- ½ pound penne pasta (usually half a box)
- 1 and ½ cups chicken broth (divided)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- ¾ cup drained sun-dried tomatoes
- ¾ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 handfuls of fresh spinach or about ½ cup frozen spinach
- parsley to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together the seasonings for the chicken and sprinkle over each chicken breast to fully coat.
- Heat a large skillet with high sides over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Sauté the chicken breasts for about 5-6 minutes per side or until cooked throughout. (see notes below)
- Set the chicken aside on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest and stay warm.
- Add water to a large pot and start heating it for the pasta while you make the sauce. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to your pasta water. Once boiling, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- In the same skillet where you cooked the chicken, (still on medium heat) add in ½ cup of chicken broth, tomato paste, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes and allow to bubble until the sauce is reduced by half.
- Add the remaining chicken broth (1 cup), Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and heavy cream and stir to combine. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add in the softened cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese and stir until both cheeses are melted.
- Turn off the heat and add in the spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted. (about 2 minutes.)
- Add in the cooked pasta and stir into the sauce.
- Top with the cooked chicken (and any juices from the plate) and parsley to garnish and serve.
Notes
TIP: If you have giant chicken breasts like mine were here, they will take quite some time to cook through. Here are some options for you if you want to speed things up.
- Cook for about 4 minutes per side then place them in a pre-heated 350° oven for another 10 minutes while making the sauce. (internal temp of the chicken should reach 165)
- You can butterfly (slice in half so you have 4 thin breasts) the chicken before cooking to speed up cooking time.
- You can cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces before cooking.