Burst Cherry Tomato Basil Chicken Rigatoni

As seen on

Ambitious Kitchen

Total Time

40 minutes

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Rating

(17)

Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken:
1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (ideally, 2 equal-sized breasts)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the pasta and sauce:
1 pound (16 ounces) rigatoni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup reserved pasta water
½ yellow onion, diced (or sub a shallot)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 cup dry white wine (or sub chicken broth)
½ cup heavy cream*
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
To garnish:
½ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Extra Parmesan
Red pepper flakes

Kid-Friendly Italian Dinner Dairy ...

How would you rate this recipe?

Preparation

Inline ingredients (beta)

Cook mode (keeps screen awake)

Click to complete

Step 1

Boil water for pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2

Cook the pasta: Once water is boiling, add in the rigatoni and cook until al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining; set aside.

Step 3

Prepare the chicken: While the water boils and pasta cooks, place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and pat dry with paper towels. To butterfly the chicken breasts, place your hand on top of the chicken breast to secure it. Using a very sharp knife, carefully begin to cut horizontally, cutting almost through the other side. Open the butterflied chicken up like a book and cut into two equal sized pieces. Repeat with the other breast. Season both sides of the chicken with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Step 4

Cook the chicken: In a large, deep skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil so it stays warm and set aside.

Step 5

Prepare the sauce: In the same skillet you cooked the chicken, deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine and keep over medium heat. Cook, stirring and scraping up any bits on the bottom until the wine is reduced most of the way. Next drizzle in the olive oil, then add the onion, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and kosher salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, 10 minutes. Once tomatoes have softened, gently press the tomatoes down with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices, then immediately stir in the tomato paste, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute until tomato paste deepens in color, which will allow the flavor to bloom. Stir in remaining white wine (or chicken broth) to deglaze and allow it to cook and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, then stir in the heavy cream and half of the basil and let it come to a simmer. Fold in the pasta so that it’s completely coated with sauce, adding more pasta water to thin the sauce as needed, then stir in the parmesan cheese, and additional salt and pepper, to taste.