BOURSIN CHICKEN PASTA WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

By Kelli Anderson
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Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be deceptively tricky to prepare well, often ending up flavorless, dry, and chewy. But with some simple tips, they can go from tough to tender. Paired with the right kind of rich sauces or flavorful ingredients, they can become family favorites.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are disadvantaged from the start. Stripped of their most flavorful components, fat and marrow, and with an irregular shape requiring different temperatures and cooking times, they often wind up overcooked.

Solution? Halve the breast lengthwise to even out the thickness into two thinner cutlets. Cooked over medium-high heat, these will sear more evenly and quickly, usually in less than 3 minutes. Another tip? Rest. Removing the seared meat from the pan to rest allows muscle fibers that tighten during a sear to relax and redistribute juices back into the center of the meat. 

When it comes to great flavor, this dish plays to its strength where less is more. Topped with a rich Boursin cream sauce with pops of tangy sun-dried and fresh cherry tomatoes and white wine, the humble chicken breasts let these bold flavors shine. Juicy and tender, but not overly rich, a boneless skinless chicken breast keeps what would otherwise be too heavy a dish with beef or skin-on chicken, a delight from beginning to end, worthy of an encore.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved, lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
• ½ cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ cup dry white wine 
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) Boursin herb cheese
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 16 ounces dry fettuccine, prepared in salted water

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat dry halved chicken breasts and season both sides with salt and pepper. 

2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, prepare fettuccini according to pasta directions. Reserve some of the pasta water before draining the cooked pasta. Rinse in cool water, and set aside. 

3. Heat olive oil in a large pan and cook the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat (should be golden brown and release easily). Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. Add wine to deglaze the pan, stirring to loosen the fond. Add in the mushrooms, onion, garlic, and butter. Stir occasionally, as they soften and liquid reduces, about 4 to 5 minutes.

5. Add intomatoes, cream, basil, Parmesan, and Boursin. Stir until the cheeses melt. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add spinach to the pan, tossing to coat, and add in the cooked pasta. Top with the chicken. Simmer together another 3 to 4 minutes. (Use the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce
if it becomes too thick or begins to stick to the pan.) 

7. Serve immediately, topped with additional Parmesan.  

PRO TIP: Professional chefs around the globe insist there is one essential tool no chef or home cook should be without: mise en place, French for “everything in its place.” Prepping all your ingredients before starting a recipe may not sound sexy, but it is the ultimate secret ingredient that prevents mistakes, dials back the chaos, and just makes the overall experience of cooking a more enjoyable one. Because in the end, if cooking isn’t fun, are we really doing it right?

Photo: KelliRa Media