Here’s one of my favourite pasta dishes. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Please note that I find that the sauce is soo tasty that I suggest you double or even triple all the ingredients for the sauce, when guests are over, to ensure there’s enough for everyone.
Makes three servings.
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 cup heavy cream (or low-fat sour cream)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 ounces dry fettuccini pasta or bow tie
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter; add garlic and onion and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and 3/4 cup of the chicken broth; increase to medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Add corn flour if sauce doesn’t thicken as desired. Mix some of the sauce with the corn starch first before adding to the pot to ensure the sauce doesn’t become lumpy).
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil and saute chicken. Press on chicken occasionally with a slotted spatula. Cook for about 4 minutes per side or until the meat feels springy and is no longer pink inside. Transfer to a board; cover and keep warm. Discard the fat from the skillet.
In the same skillet, over medium heat, bring 1/4 cup chicken broth to a boil; stirring the pan juices. Reduce slightly and add to the cream sauce; stir in basil and adjust seasonings to taste.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sauce.
Cut each chicken breast into 2 to 3 diagonal slices. Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Transfer the pasta to serving plates; top with chicken and coat with the cream sauce; serve.
TIP: Unlike what the recipe says, I usually finish making the sauce first cos I like to add some of the sauce when I cook the chicken. So I chop up the chicken into longish thin strips first before I cook it. I sauté the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and add some of the sauce to the pan as well so the meat soaks up all that tasty sauce. While the chicken’s cooking I also add some fresh, chopped mushrooms to the sauce to kick it up a notch! Once the meat and mushrooms are cooked, I just put the lot into the sauce pot and mix it all up. By the way, this sauce keeps in the fridge so well. When it’s time for dinner, just heat it up and pour over the cooked pasta and enjoy! There will be no mess in the kitchen when your guests arrive.