Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Xander’s Babar Pasta Copycat)
Ingredients
**Pasta:**
- 1/2 package of Linguini pasta 8 ounces or 225g
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
**Chicken:**
- About 3-4 chicken tenders around 1/2 pound; you can also use chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
**Sauce:**
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes from a jar crushed or chopped, including the oil/juices
- 8 cherry tomatoes roughly chopped
- Salt pepper, and chili flakes to taste
- 1 1/2 cups milk 360g
- 1/2 cup cream 120g
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- Handful of chopped spinach leaves
- 3-4 basil leaves chopped (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
**Pasta:**
- Cook the pasta until it’s al dente following the package instructions.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water.
**Chicken:**
- Coat the chicken with the seasonings thoroughly on all sides.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the chicken until it’s cooked through and seared (around 3-4 minutes per side). Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it into strips against the grain.
**Tuscan Sauce:**
- In the same pan, add butter and sauté garlic until fragrant (medium-high heat).
- Add sundried tomatoes and chopped cherry tomatoes, cooking for about 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.
- Add seasonings and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in milk and cream, stirring until the mixture boils and becomes cohesive.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water, cooking until the sauce thickens. It should still be runny as it will thicken more when you add the pasta later.
- Turn off the heat, then stir in chopped spinach and basil leaves. Adjust seasoning as needed.
**Assembly:**
- Mix the chopped chicken and boiled pasta into the sauce until combined.
- Serve fresh and warm, garnishing with chopped basil leaves, parmesan cheese, and fresh tomatoes. Enjoy your delightful Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta!