One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta

Instructions

1. 01

   Pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels to absorb the excess moisture. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with half a teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder, crushed pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and dried thyme.

2. 02

   Place a medium to large pot on medium-high heat. Add the two tablespoons of olive olive. Let it heat up until shimmering then add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it rest.

3. 03

   Next, add the diced onion and garlic to the pot and stir. Let them cook for about 2 minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

4. 04

   Then add the five cups of water, 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder and half a teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot halfway and bring to a rolling boil.

5. 05

   Add the penne and let it cook until the pasta has absorbed about half of the liquid. Then, add the cubed cream cheese. Let it cook covered for about 2 minutes to let the cream cheese heat up. Then stir to combine. At this point, add some more red pepper flakes or some freshly cracked black pepper to balance the richness.

6. 06

   Let it cook until the pasta is al dente. There will still be some liquid at the bottom of the pot, which is great for saucier pasta.

7. 07

   Slice the reserved chicken, add to the pot, and mix in. Or, slice the chicken and top the pasta with it before serving. Add half of the shredded parmesan and stir in. Reserve the other half for serving.

8. 08

   Add fresh minced parsley and basil and stir in. That will add specks of green to the meal. Plus, the herbs will add a fresh, herby flavor.

9. 09

   Serve warm topped with more shredded parmesan.