The Best Marry Me Chicken Pasta (Tuscan Chicken Pasta)

Cook the pasta

1. In a large pot of water, cook the pasta following the package directions until al dente. Make sure to generously season the pasta water with salt. As a guide, you will need just under 1 tablespoon of salt for this amount of pasta.(You can start on the chicken and the sauce while the pasta cooks)
2. Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly in a colander.

Cook the chicken

1. Coat the diced chicken pieces with the smoked paprika, salt and black pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat.
3. Sauté the chicken pieces until they are browned on all sides and fully cooked, approximately 6-8 minutes.
4. Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl, cover with foil to keep it warm and set it aside until needed.

Make the sauce

1. In the same pan, melt the butter and add the chopped onions. (Yes, the pan will be coated in a vibrant orange oil from the paprika chicken. Don't pour it out, we need it for flavour and colour)
2. Cook the onions over medium-low heat until softened and lightly browned, approximately 4 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Next, pour in the chicken stock and allow it to simmer for 1 minute. Scrape the pan to deglaze, incorporating any flavorful bits of onion and chicken from the bottom.
5. Add the drained sun-dried tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano and balsamic vinegar (if you are using the vinegar).
6. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, gently stirring, until the tomatoes start to soften. Gently break the tomatoes into smaller pieces with your spoon as you stir.
7. Pour in the cream and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until the cream comes to a gentle simmer.
8. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and stir it through the sauce.

Bring it all together

1. Add the cooked chicken from earlier back into the pan and combine it with the sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Lastly, tip in the drained pasta.
3. Using two forks, gently lift and mix the pasta into the sauce until every strand is covered. Ensure an even spread of chicken and sun-dried tomato pieces throughout the dish.Briefly warm it through (if needed) over a very low heat.
4. Check for seasoning and add more if needed.
5. Top with fresh, torn basil leaves, an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a generous grind of black pepper.