1teaspoonolive oil - or any cooking oil, to prevent drained pasta from clumping
For Pesto Chicken Sauce
2tablespoonolive oil
2chicken breasts - cut into bite-size pieces, boneless, skinless, around 250g/9oz each
3clovesgarlic - large cloves, finely minced or grated
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonground black pepper
½teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes
½cup(118ml)chicken or vegetable broth/stock - low sodium (Note A)
4ounces(113g)cream cheese - cut into small cubes
¾cup(177ml)basil pesto - store-bought (Note B)
Optional ingredients
½cup(55g)sun-dried tomatoes - sliced or chopped, drained (Note C)
¼cup(25g)grated parmesan - freshly grated, for garnishing
some finely chopped parsley - for garnishing
Instructions
Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Cook rigatoni pasta in it until al dente. Follow the package instructions (see Note D). Once cooked, drain in a colander then drizzle olive oil on it and gently mix. This will prevent pasta from clumping together.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add minced garlic, chicken pieces, salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly or until the chicken no longer looks pink but is cooked through. Don't let it brown.
Pour the broth/stock into the skillet and stir. Let it come to a simmer.
Then turn the heat down to medium-low and add cream cheese cubes. Stir/whisk continuously until it melts and the sauce looks smooth. Simmer 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens a little.
Mix in the basil pesto and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir frequently.
Now add the cooked pasta and sun-dried tomatoes (optional) and gently fold to combine. Let it cook one last minute. If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of broth/water.
Once everything is heated through, transfer to serving plates. Garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Note A: Broth – If you can't find the low-sodium kind, reduce the quantity of added salt. Taste the pasta when ready and then add more salt if needed.Note B: Pesto – If you'd like to make your own, here's a pesto recipe by Elise that you can use.Note C: Sundried tomatoes – Use the ones that come in jars, covered in oil – not the dry ones in bags. Drain first, then slice.Note D: Cooking pasta – To cook 8 ounces rigatoni, I use 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoons salt and boil the pasta for 9 minutes (but you should follow the cook time instructions on your pasta package).Note E: Helpful content – Click on the links below for related useful content in the main body of the post.