Step 1

Cooking Chicken - Heat the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat until melted. Add the chicken pieces and cook until they are lightly browned on the outside, about 5-7 minutes. While the chicken cooks, mince the garlic. Add the minced garlic to the skillet with the chicken and sauté for an additional minute until fragrant.

Step 2

Cooking Pasta - Add the uncooked penne pasta and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir well to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir the pasta briefly, replace the lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the broth is absorbed. Stir every two minutes.

Step 3

Making Sauce - Add the milk, cream cheese chunks, and basil pesto to the skillet. Stir continuously over medium heat until the cream cheese has melted completely into the sauce. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until well combined. If using, add fresh spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir until the spinach wilts. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Serving - Top with freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes before serving.