Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken and penne cooked in a luscious tomato basil cream sauce with parmesan finish.

# What You'll 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 - 1 (14 oz) can 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

# Directions:

01 - Boil penne pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and set pasta aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt and black pepper on both sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet, let rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - Reduce heat to medium in the same skillet. Add butter and chopped onion; sauté 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Stir in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors.
06 - Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Mix in parmesan cheese and half of the chopped basil until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Add sliced chicken and drained pasta into the sauce. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
09 - Serve immediately, garnished with remaining basil leaves and extra parmesan if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It feels indulgent without keeping you in the kitchen for hours—forty minutes from start to finish.
  • The sauce tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but the secret is just good cream and fresh basil at the end.
  • Tender chicken and silky pasta that actually absorb the flavor instead of sitting in watery sauce.
02 -
  • Cream can curdle if your heat is too high when you pour it in, so lower it to medium first or you'll end up with something grainy and sad.
  • That pasta water you reserved is your safety net—use it to adjust the consistency because the sauce thickens as it cools.
  • Basil turns dark and loses its brightness if you cook it too long, so add half early and half at the very end.
03 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before draining—a splash or two dissolves right into the sauce and creates a silkier texture than cream alone ever could.
  • Chicken dries out fast, so slice it after resting and add it back just before serving so it stays tender and juicy.
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