- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 590 kcal
Quick summary
“A quick dough made in a single pan where the penne cooks directly in the chicken broth with sun-dried tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Finished with golden chicken cubes, fresh heavy cream, spinach, and parmesan cheese.”
What you need to know
- The penne pasta cooks by absorption in the chicken broth itself, retaining starch to thicken the sauce.
- Browning the chicken breast cubes beforehand and reserving them preserves the tenderness of the meat without letting it dry out.
- Fresh spinach leaves wilt in the residual heat of the pan in 2 minutes without losing the bright green color.
Ingredients
Main
- g Chicken Breast
- tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
- unit Cebola
- cloves Garlic
- g Sun-dried tomato
- g Penne
- ml Chicken broth
- ml Fresh cream
- g Parmesan Cheese
- g Espinafre fresco
- Salt
- freshly ground Black pepper
- Fresh basil
Instructions
Principal
- Season the chicken cubes with salt and black pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, for about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomato, sautéing for 1 more minute until the aroma rises. Do not let the garlic burn, to avoid bitterness.
- Add the penne to the pan, mixing well with the onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomato. Pour in the hot chicken broth, making sure the pasta is submerged. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the penne is al dente, stirring occasionally so it does not stick.
- After the penne reaches the ideal point, add the fresh cream and grated parmesan cheese. Stir vigorously until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes creamy and homogeneous. Return the browned chicken to the pot, mixing it into the sauce and pasta.
- Lastly, add the fresh spinach leaves to the pan. Stir gently until the spinach wilts, which takes only 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately, decorated with fresh basil and more grated Parmesan.
- The sauce should be enveloping and the pasta with the perfect texture. This dish is made to be enjoyed fresh, right after preparation. The single pan makes cleaning easy and concentrates all the flavors, resulting in a memorable and practical dinner.
Chef's tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot to distribute heat evenly and prevent the dough from burning at the bottom.
- Stir the pasta every 2 minutes while it absorbs the hot broth so it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet.
- Turn off the flame before finishing with the parmesan and basil so that the emulsion remains velvety.
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan right after sautéing the onion and garlic.
- Sprinkle toasted chopped walnuts or nuts over the served dish to provide a crunchy texture.
- Replace the chicken breast with fresh Paris or shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian alternative.
Substitutions
- Penne pasta can be replaced by fusilli, rigatoni, or farfalle.
- Fresh heavy cream can be replaced by culinary cream or Italian mascarpone cheese.
- Fresh spinach can be replaced by chopped wild arugula leaves or thinly sliced collard greens.
How to store
Guarde em recipiente hermético na geladeira por até 3 dias. Para reaquecer, adicione 3 colheres de sopa de leite ou água morna em fogo baixo na frigideira para recuperar a consistência cremosa.
Can it be frozen?
It is not indicated to freeze one-pot pasta preparations with fresh heavy cream, as the pasta softens too much and the cream sauce separates into oily phases.
What to serve with
Pairs perfectly with toasted ciabatta bread with olive oil, a glass of Chardonnay white wine, and a crisp green salad.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use sterilized boxed heavy cream?
You can use it, but add it only with the stove flame already turned off so as not to boil the product's stabilizers, preventing the sauce from curdling.
How to prevent the oil from sun-dried tomatoes from making the recipe greasy?
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes on absorbent paper towels and use only the extra virgin olive oil indicated in the recipe for sauteing the ingredients.
What to do if the broth dries up before the penne reaches the al dente point?
Keep a kettle with warm water or chicken broth nearby and add half a ladle of liquid at a time until the dough reaches the ideal point.
Does penne pasta really cook right directly in the broth without abundant water?
Yes, the 'one-pot pasta' technique cooks the pasta by exact absorption of the hot liquid with the lid ajar, resulting in a much more velvety sauce due to the released starch.
