Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

Cook the pasta:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain, and set aside.

Cook the chicken:

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and cut them into four pieces. Pat them dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter is melted, place the chicken pieces on the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side without disturbing them, flip, and cook for 3 to 4 additional minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove the chicken from the pan onto a board and set aside.

Make the sauce:

1. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter onto the pan. Add the whole garlic cloves and sauté them for about 2 to 3 minutes, moving them around to make sure they toast to a golden color, but they don’t burn.
2. Add the rosemary to the pan and toast it for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth or stock, and as it simmers, use a wooden spatula to scrape the tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Add warmed cream to the pan and stir, bringing it to a simmer, and then cook it down for about 4 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, slice the cooked chicken breasts diagonally.

Make it a meal:

1. Add the sliced chicken to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer it in the sauce for 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Slowly, add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, to the pan and toss to combine. If needed, to thin out the sauce, add a bit more of the pasta water.

Serve:

1. Serve the creamy garlic chicken pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese.