Italian restaurants actually use pasta water's starch content to bind cream sauces—it's basically edible glue.
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Indulge in a mouthwatering creamy chicken pasta that’s sure to become a weeknight favorite! With tender chicken, al dente pasta, and a velvety homemade sauce infused with garlic and a hint of Parmesan, this dish is not only a breeze to whip up but also a fantastic option for meal prepping. Get ready to savor every bite!
Prep
20
min
Cook
40
min
Serves
5
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 5🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 120 g or 4 oz of baby spinach (4.24 oz)optional
- 2 red bell peppers
- 200 g or 7 oz or roughly one panet of cherry tomatoes (7.06 oz)
- 1 whole bulb of garlic
- 3 small brown onions
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 800 g or 1.7 lb of boneless and skinless chicken breast (1.76 lbs)
- 1/2 cup of chicken stock (120 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 2/3 of a cup of cooking cream or thickened cream (161 ml)
- 60 g or 2 oz of cream cheese (2.12 oz)optional
- Parmesan cheeseoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp of olive oil (15-15 ml)optionalspray oil to cut calories
- 350 gram or 12 oz of pennet or any pasta of your choice (12.4 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- about 20 cracks worth of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (5 ml)
- a little bit of salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220° C or 430° Fahrenheit.
- 2
Prepare the vegetables: slice the onions, roast the bell peppers, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- 3
Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and black pepper.
- 4
Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes until soft and caramelized.
- 5
Butterfly and slice the chicken breast into thin strips, season with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- 6
Wrap the roasted bell peppers in cling wrap to steam for 10 to 15 minutes, then peel off the skins.
- 7
Cook the pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes less than package instructions, then drain and reserve some pasta water.
- 8
Blend the roasted vegetables and garlic until smooth, adding pasta water if necessary to adjust consistency.
- 9
In a large pan, heat olive oil and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes until golden.
- 10
Add the blended sauce, chicken stock, cooking cream, and optional cream cheese to the pan.
- 11
Simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes to thicken, adjusting with pasta water if needed.
- 12
Add optional baby spinach and wilt for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
- 13
Mix in the cooked pasta and adjust seasoning as needed.
- 14
Serve in portions, garnished with grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook pasta 2 minutes under package time to al dente (around 85% doneness) because it will finish cooking in the sauce, absorbing flavors while maintaining proper texture.timing2 minutes under
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining - its 1-2% starch content acts as a natural emulsifier to bind oil-based sauces with dairy components.technique1-2% starch content
- ✓Steam roasted peppers wrapped in cling film for 10-15 minutes to create condensation that loosens skins, making peeling 3x faster than scraping.technique10-15 minutes
- ✓Butterfly chicken breast to create uniform 1/2-inch thickness for even cooking - thick portions can be 40°F cooler than thin edges when done.technique1/2-inch thickness
- ✓Roast vegetables at 430°F for 35-40 minutes to achieve Maillard browning while maintaining 15-20% moisture content for a creamy sauce base.timing35-40 minutes at 430°F
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