Does anyone else get insatiable cravings for pasta? For me, it happens at least once a month. Maybe twice. And this is especially difficult lately for two reasons. First of all- I moved far, far away from my favorite Italian restaurant, Trattoria Firenze, in Salem, MA. As much as Texas does barbecue and Mexican food better than the northeast- they have nothing on the Boston area’s Italian eateries. Second- I’ve been trying to cut back on carbs lately. Not eliminate, but balance with an equal amount of protein (which can help you process carbohydrates more effectively) and make sure I’m only eating the “good” carbs- whole grains, brown rice, etc.
Enter: Chicken and Linguine with Tomato Basil Butter Sauce!
OH MY GOODNESS. This is good. Perfectly cooked chicken breasts atop a pile of al dente linguine and smothered in marinara tomato sauce with fresh basil, parmesan, and – you guessed it – a little bit of melted butter.
You are going to love this one. Not only will it transport you to your favorite Italian restaurant in a completely authentic way, but it’s also quick and easy to make. Perfect for a surprisingly “fancy” weeknight dinner in a hurry.
At this point in reading this post, you should commence playing Italian music in your head, pretending you are sitting outside at a restaurant in Capri, enjoying a beautiful view, delicious wine, and a big bowl of pasta. Because this is what it tastes like. Completely authentic, fresh, and absolutely delicious. Just like Italy!
Oops. I just followed my own instructions and got the song from Lady and the Tramp stuck in my head when they are sharing the plate of pasta. Thissss is the nightttt… it’s a beautifulll nightttt…and they call it bella notte…
I think I’ve gone a bit giddy thinking about how delicious this is.
First, you sear the chicken breasts – seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, in a cast iron skillet
(or other large skillet) in olive oil until crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Easy peasy.
Here’s what makes this so delicious.
You deglaze the skillet with a bit of red wine and chicken stock before adding pre-made marinara sauce to it (I usually make my own, but when I need to buy store-bought I usually get Rao’s
). This ensures that all of the delicious salty, garlicky browned bits from cooking the chicken incorporate into the sauce, making it extra special.
Then, once the sauce is heated all the way through, you add fresh chopped basil and melt a pad of butter into it.
Yummmmm.
Serve the sauce and the chicken over cooked linguine (or any other pasta you may have on hand) and sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Are you still playing that Italian music in your head? Good. Now start making this. Pronto!
Recipe below :-)
Chicken and Linguine with Tomato Basil Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
- 8 oz. linguine or other pasta
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped (reserve some for serving)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions in salted water.
- Meanwhile, season each side of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (1 teaspoon).
- Heat olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet.
- Sear chicken on each side until browned and fully cooked on the inside (about 7-9 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the filets).
- When chicken is fully cooked, remove to a plate. Add red wine to the skillet and, using a metal spatula, scrape up all the browned bits from cooking the chicken. Allow red wine to reduce by about half by simmering for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth and marinara sauce. Heat through.
- Stir in the basil and the butter. Heat until butter is melted.
- Serve chicken atop the pasta with a generous portion of sauce, sprinkled with remaining basil and parmesan cheese.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Lynn
Hi. How could this recipe be done in the slow cooker?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I don’t usually use my slow cooker for chicken breasts or pasta, because those ingredients tend to be better cooking for a shorter time. I’m going to send you over to my friend Sarah at The Magical Slow Cooker for pasta cooked in the slow cooker – here’s a recipe to get you started! Hope that helps. https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-chicken-parmesan-and-pasta/
Jessie
I also think about eating pasta once or twice a day! That’s what you said, right….?
Looks delish, can’t wait to try it – we just went mushroom hunting over the weekend, and I might throw some of those bad boys on as well!
Elizabeth
Yes, that’s totally what I said :-) YUM… I’ll have to add mushrooms to mine next time, too!