Description
A quick and flavorful Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta combining tender chicken breast with a spicy tomato cream sauce and melted mozzarella over perfectly cooked rotini pasta. This easy one-skillet meal is ready in just 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner option.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounce rotini pasta (uncooked)
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 pound chicken breast (skinless and boneless, cut into bite size pieces)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 cup tomatoes (chopped)
- 6 green onions (chopped)
- ½ cup parsley (fresh, chopped)
Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
- ½ cup chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, ensuring it is firm to the bite. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Melt the butter: In a large skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium-high heat to prepare for cooking the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with chili powder, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink in the center and fully cooked through, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Add vegetables and herbs: Stir in the chopped tomatoes, green onions, and parsley to the skillet with the chicken. Cook everything together for an additional 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Make the sauce: Pour in the heavy cream (or half and half) and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring to combine all ingredients into a creamy sauce.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked rotini pasta to the skillet and stir well to coat the pasta evenly with the creamy tomato chicken sauce.
- Finish and serve: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese and additional parsley on top if desired. Serve the pasta warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half and half or a low-fat alternative.
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta; al dente texture works best for this dish.
- You can adjust the chili powder and red chili flakes to control the spiciness of the dish.
- Fresh parsley adds a nice brightness but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Use low sodium chicken broth to better control the salt level in the recipe.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
