Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Chicken

This recipe is quick and easy. But it doesn’t taste like it was quick and easy. It tastes elaborate and glorious… And isn’t that the dream of every home chef? A speedy and simple dinner, that tastes like it took all day? Also, this pasta yields about 8 servings… and I haven’t even told you the best part yet… It heats up well as a leftover the next day! Housewife win!

INGREDIENTS:
16 ounces Fettuccine Pasta
2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
2 cups Flour (or seasoned chicken mix)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
4 tablespoons Butter
1 White Onion, diced
5 Garlic Cloves, minced
Two 15-ounce cans Tomato Sauce (Red Gold)
Dash of Sugar, to taste
1 cup Heavy Cream
1-2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Basil, chopped for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook the fettuccine according to package instructions. Use a sharp knife to slice the 2 chicken breasts in half horizontally, giving you 4 thinner chicken breast pieces.

Salt and pepper the chicken breast halves on both sides.

Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, and set them aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt the butter in the olive oil until sizzling. Start preparing your vegetables as you wait for the butter to melt.

Working in batches, cook the chicken until golden on both sides and done in the middle; about 2-3 minutes per side. I cook two pieces of chicken at a time. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT overcrowd your pan! When the chicken is done remove it from the skillet and keep warm. Do not clean the skillet.

I chop all my vegetable ingredients as I wait for my batches of chicken to cook. I also open the cans of tomato sauce, grate the cheese, and measure out the 1 cup of heavy cream. This will save you time later.

Now, add 2 more tablespoons of butter and two more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan with all the leftover chicken bits. Allow the butter to melt.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 4 minutes.

Pour in the tomato sauce…

Then add the salt, pepper, and sugar and stir it around. Give it a taste test and adjust seasonings accordingly. I added extra sugar to mine. The sugar counteracts the acidity of the tomatoes, and adds a really nice flavor balance.

Now you need to give the tomato sauce a few minutes to heat up, so this is a good time for you to cube your cooked chicken.

Once the tomato sauce has heated, pour in the heavy cream… And stir… And watch…

… as it turns from a beautiful mix of red and white… to an even more glorious mix of orange.

Then toss a handful of grated parmesan cheese into the sauce, and stir until it melts. Please, please, please buy a block of parmesan and grate it yourself, it is so worth it!

Dump the cooked fettuccine right into the pot of sauce, and carefully mix it around.

Now, add more parmesan, just because… and add the freshly chopped basil. Give it another good mix.

Put a few scoops of pasta into each pasta serving bowl, or plate, and add a generous handful of chicken to each serving.

Then top each serving off with a little more parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

LEFTOVER ALERT: You can also enjoy this as a leftover the next day; heat some olive oil in a non stick skillet, and toss the pasta around in the skillet until warm! I just had some of my leftovers for lunch, and it was blissful.

RECIPE VARIATIONS:
(1) Add steak or salmon instead of chicken, and cooked peas instead of basil.
(2) Omit the chicken all together and make a Creamy Tomato Pasta; begin the recipe by adding butter and olive oil to the pan and sautéing the onions and garlic.

*RECIPE SOURCES: I got the idea for the Tomato Sauce here; Pioneer Woman: Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce. I changed a few things and added chicken to the recipe, because, well, my husband is President of the “Chicken For Dinner Fan Club”.

Cook Long and Prosper, the Uncustomary Housewife.