Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
By Noah Bennett
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Choose skinless‚ boneless chicken breasts that can be cut into smaller pieces for faster cooking in this tomato cream pasta with chicken recipe․ Rotini pasta holds the mild‚ spicy tomato cream sauce well‚ and shredded mozzarella adds extra flavor to each bite of this dish․
Butter is used to brown the chicken․ Chili powder and red pepper flakes are added to the pan with tomatoes‚ green onions‚ and parsley․ Half-and-half is a suggested ingredient substitute․ Heavy cream makes the fullest sauce․ Chicken broth is added to the sauce․ Shredded mozzarella is mixed with rotini pasta․
Search for fully cooked golden chicken․ Add other vegetables․ Boil the cream and broth mixture to thicken it․ Textural problems with this dish are related to the pasta․ Do not rinse cooked rotini pasta before serving․
Serve hot pasta with parsley and other toppings with a tossed salad‚ garlic toast‚ special breads‚ or a cucumber salad․ Reheat leftover pasta to allow it to absorb broth or sauce․ Reheat leftover pasta on the stovetop with broth or cream to moisten the sauce․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Even slices of chicken breast cook more evenly‚ yielding juicy chicken breast when cooked in a skillet‚ as opposed to chicken breast that is overcooked or dried out on the edges.
- Rotini's spiral design helps it retain tomato-cream sauce‚ allowing salad ingredients to be added to dry rotini without missing any pieces․
- Chopped tomatoes‚ onions‚ and parsley add freshness and contrast to the creamy texture without many additional ingredients․
- Heavy cream makes a creamy sauce․ Half-and-half in a can makes a less creamy sauce in the same amount as heavy cream․
- Freshly shredded mozzarella melts better than packaged shredded mozzarella and helps the sauce stay smooth and not grainy on the pasta․
- Chili powder and red chili flakes provide a spicy flavor to the tomato sauce without overwhelming the chicken and cheese flavors․
Ingredients
- •8 oz rotini pasta (uncooked)
- •3 tbsp unsalted butter
- •1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- •2 tbsp chili powder
- •½ tsp red chili flakes
- •½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- •¼ tsp pepper (or to taste)
- •1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
- •6 green onions (chopped)
- •½ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- •1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- •½ cup chicken broth (low-sodium or no-sodium-added)
- •1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- 1
Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- 2
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3
Add the chicken to the skillet, then season with chili powder, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
- 4
Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Add the tomatoes, green onions, and parsley. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
- 6
Add the heavy cream or half-and-half and chicken broth, then cook until the mixture comes to a boil.
- 7
Add the rotini pasta and stir everything together.
- 8
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley if preferred. Serve warm.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
733
Protein
42g
Fat
41g
Carbs
50g
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