Creamy chicken pasta
The secret ingredient in this creamy chicken pasta recipe is that shop-bought garlic and herb soft cheese you might have on standby in the fridge. Make sure to use a full-fat variety so the sauce doesn’t split. The creamy texture and flavour cuts out the need for lots of separate ingredients.
Ingredients
- 350g/12oz short pasta, such as penne or fusilli
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
- 150g/5½oz leafy greens (such as kale, cavolo nero or chard), chopped
- 150g/5½oz full-fat garlic and herb soft cheese
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan, grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water until just tender. Drain and reserve 150ml/5fl oz cooking water.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish. Fry the leek, garlic and chicken for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the greens and season really well with salt and pepper. Cook for a further 5 minutes to soften the greens.
Add the soft cheese to the pan and stir to melt in. Slowly add the reserved pasta water, stirring to combine, and bring to a bubble.
Add 35g/1¼oz of the Parmesan and mix. Once it's melted in, add the pasta and warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide between four plates and serve topped with the remaining Parmesan.
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