Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large skillet (12-inch)
• •Large pot for pasta
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the pasta water

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. It should taste like the sea. This is the only chance you have to season the pasta from the inside.

2. 2

   Prepare the chicken

   Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Dry chicken sears. Wet chicken steams. The difference between a golden crust and a pale, flabby piece of meat starts here.

   If your chicken breasts are thick and uneven, pound them gently to an even thickness so they cook uniformly.
3. 3

   Sear the chicken

   Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook without moving it for five to six minutes until deeply golden underneath. Flip and cook another four to five minutes until cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while you build the sauce.

4. 4

   Cook the pasta

   Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Set a timer for one minute less than the package directions. You want it slightly underdone because it will finish in the sauce.

5. 5

   Build the sauce

   Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter in the sliced garlic and cook for thirty seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown. Burned garlic is bitter garlic. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir for another minute to warm them through and release their sweetness.

6. 6

   Add cream and stock

   Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits are flavor. Let it bubble for two minutes until slightly reduced. Add the cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for three to four minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.

7. 7

   Finish with cheese and spinach

   Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the grated parmesan in two additions, letting each melt before adding more. The residual heat is enough. Direct flame will make the cheese grainy and stringy. Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring until it wilts but still holds its bright green color. This takes only a minute.

   Adding cheese off heat prevents it from seizing. Patience here gives you a silky sauce rather than a clumpy one.
8. 8

   Bring it together

   Slice the rested chicken against the grain into thin strips. Reserve half a cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding splashes of pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. The starchy water helps everything cling together. Nestle the sliced chicken on top.

9. 9

   Serve immediately

   Taste and adjust salt as needed. Divide among warm bowls. Scatter fresh basil leaves over each portion and pass extra parmesan at the table. This dish waits for no one. The sauce will thicken as it sits, and the spinach will lose its color. Eat while everything still feels alive.

Chef Tips

• •Look for sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil rather than the dry, leathery kind sold in bags. They are more tender and their oil is already infused with tomato flavor.
• •Real Parmigiano-Reggiano, the kind with the stamp on the rind, costs more but melts into cream like nothing else. Pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
• •If you cannot find good chicken, use boneless thighs instead. They are more forgiving and often come from better-raised birds than cheap breasts.
• •This dish is best in winter and early spring when you are craving richness. In summer, skip the cream and toss the pasta with fresh tomatoes, basil, and good olive oil instead.

Advance Preparation

• •The chicken can be seared up to one day ahead and refrigerated. Slice it cold and add it to the warm pasta at the end to gently reheat.
• •Grate the parmesan and slice the garlic and tomatoes ahead of time. Once cooking starts, things move quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 410g)