Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken and penne pasta in a luscious tomato-basil cream sauce with parmesan.

# 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 pepper, to taste

# How to make it:

01 - Boil penne pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta 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. Cook chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove from skillet, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and chopped onion to the skillet; sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Stir in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes to develop flavor.
06 - Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Mix in parmesan and half of the fresh basil, stirring until cheese melts. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Add sliced chicken and cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency.
09 - Plate immediately, garnishing with remaining basil and additional parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ready in under 45 minutes, which means you can go from craving Italian food to eating it before hunger becomes a problem.
  • The cream mellows the acidity of the tomatoes into something deeply comforting that tastes like a restaurant made it.
  • Impresses people without requiring you to fuss or stress in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Cook the pasta to al dente, not soft—it will continue to absorb sauce and soften as you toss, and overcooked pasta will turn to mush in the cream.
  • That reserved pasta water is your secret weapon for achieving the perfect consistency; a little at a time is better than adding too much at once.
  • Fresh basil added at the end keeps its brightness; cooking it all into the sauce dulls that peppery herbal note that makes this dish sing.
03 -
  • Slice the cooked chicken thin so it picks up more sauce and disappears into each forkful rather than announcing itself as separate pieces.
  • Taste the sauce before the pasta goes in and adjust the seasoning; cream can mute flavors, so it often needs more salt than you'd expect.
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