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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Xander’s Babar Pasta Copycat)

Course Dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6

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!