Creamy Rotini Chicken Pasta

Step 1

Using a sharp knife, cut through the middle of the chicken breast horizontally so they half in thickness. Let the knife do most of the work, applying a small amount of pressure as the knife glides through crosswise. It’s easiest when you place one hand on top of the chicken breast. Don’t worry if this is not done too evenly! Repeat this step with all the chicken breast.

Step 2

Place one piece of chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the smooth side of a mallet, pound the chicken from the centre outwards until the breast is roughly 2cm thick and has an even thickness throughout. This step is to ensure the chicken cooks at an even rate.

Step 3

Place the chicken into a large bowl and coat with the sweet paprika, oregano, onion and garlic powder, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands and set to the side for now.

Step 4

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the pasta packet instructions. Drain the pasta 2 minutes before the suggested el dente cook time as the pasta will continue to cook when we toss it through the sauce. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Step 5

While the pasta cooks, begin making the sauce. In a large pan on a medium – high heat, bring the olive oil to heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side. You will need to do this step in batches to ensure the pan does not overcrowd and the chicken does not broil. We are looking for a beautiful caramelized crust on the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into it.

Step 6

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once foaming, add the garlic and shallot to the pan with the butter and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Continue to stir to ensure the garlic does not burn.

Step 7

Increase the heat to high and add the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes or until the tomato paste and darkened in colour and is almost sticking to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to stir through and really scrape off all those delicious parts on the bottom of the pan that were leftover when we cooked the chicken.

Step 8

Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream. Stir through and once foaming, add the sundried tomatoes, pasta and a splash of pasta water. Grate in the cheese and stir through until you have a silky and glossy sauce. Continue to add the pasta water slowly if needed. You may not need the full cup so do this step in batches.

Step 9

Turn off the heat and stir though the parsley and chicken. Finish off with an extra sprinkling of cheese.