Description
A comforting, quick-to-make creamy pasta dish featuring silky ricotta and tender chicken, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300 grams pasta (fettuccine or penne)
- 500 grams boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 250 grams ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, usually about 8–10 minutes.
- Before draining, scoop out and reserve 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) of the starchy pasta cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and season with salt and pepper. Sear for 2–3 minutes until golden brown, then stir and continue cooking until no longer pink, about 3–4 minutes.
- Reduce heat and add ricotta and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the ricotta loosens into a silky sauce.
- Add drained pasta and toss over low heat, adding more reserved pasta water until desired sauce consistency is reached.
- Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.
Notes
Serve with a crisp green salad and garlic bread for a complete meal. Can be modified by adding vegetables or using different pasta shapes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
Keywords: pasta, chicken, ricotta, creamy, weeknight dinner