Chicken Parmesan Pasta with Golden Chicken and Creamy Tomato Sauce
By Lucas Morgan
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Searing the chicken in olive oil and butter and setting aside the browned chicken pieces to use in the sauce․ This Chicken Parmesan Pasta recipe uses chicken and penne pasta with a tomato passata, cream, and Parmesan cheese sauce for a lighter take on Chicken Parmesan․
Cook the penne until it is al dente․ Reserve pasta cooking water when draining to use later when adding cheese to the sauce․ Finely diced onion should be cooked with the chicken․ Include garlic and red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning in the passata․ Use half and half to make a light tomato cream sauce in place of heavy cream․
The chicken should be slightly golden after 5 to 6 minutes․ The onion should be partially cooked for a few minutes with other aromatics․ Reduce the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat rather than a full boil to keep the creamy sauce from reducing too much․ Add pasta water only if the pasta is too thick when plated․
Serve right away with Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper․ Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator․ The recipe developer recommends reheating leftovers in the microwave․ Other proposed additions for individual servings include fresh basil, bread crumbs, broccoli, and baby spinach․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Golden chicken in olive oil and butter will leave flavorful residues on the pan that can be used to flavor the tomato sauce without using a second pan․
- Al dente pasta holds its shape when combined with sauce and prevents the entire dish from being soggy and heavy․
- Saving pasta water can help thin out a thick Parmesan sauce and make it stick to the penne noodles․
- Cold ingredients help the tomato sauce and half and half mixture simmer and thicken to a creamy texture without overcooking the tomato sauce․
- Freshly grated Parmesan blends well with other food and won't clump and interfere with the texture and flavor of other prepared foods․ Pregrated Parmesan may clump․
- Chopped onion will cook with the chicken in minutes, reducing total cooking time but adding onion flavor to the meal․
Ingredients
- •10 ½ oz pasta (300 g)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •1 tbsp unsalted butter (20 g)
- •1 lb chicken breast (450 g, cut into 1-inch pieces)
- •1 small onion (finely diced)
- •2 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- •¼ tsp red chili flakes
- •1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- •1 ½ cups tomato sauce (passata) (300 ml)
- •1 cup half and half (single cream)
- •½ cup Parmesan (50 g, grated)
- •2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
- •salt (to taste)
- •freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
- 2
Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.
- 3
Reserve 1 to 2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- 4
Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven and melt the butter in it.
- 5
Add the chicken breast pieces and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until slightly golden.
- 6
Stir in the onion, garlic, and red chili flakes.
- 7
Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened.
- 8
Add the Italian seasoning and tomato sauce (passata), then stir to combine.
- 9
Stir in the half and half.
- 10
Allow the sauce to bubble on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 11
Add the cooked pasta and stir in the grated Parmesan.
- 12
Add the fresh parsley, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
535
Protein
47g
Fat
21g
Carbs
39g
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