Spicy Garlic Chicken Penne with Peas

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast, skinless and boneless, halved horizontally
• salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dry basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8-10 oz penne pasta
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Cut chicken breast horizontally in half, to make it thinner. Season both chicken breast halves generously with salt and also with 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon dry basil - on both sides.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high-medium heat in a large skillet. Add seasoned chicken breast halves and cook on one side for about 3-4 minutes on high-medium heat. Flip the chicken over to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, cover with the lid and let the chicken sit in the skillet off heat - it will continue cooking. After about 10-15 minutes, the chicken should be fully cooked and no longer pink in the center - remove the chicken from the skillet and slice into cubes. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Add peas to pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse with cold water.

1. To the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 6 cloves of minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes - cook on medium heat for 1 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon dry basil, stir and bring to boil - immediately reduce to simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Add shredded mozzarella cheese to the sauce and stir to melt until cheese is completely melted and the sauce thickens - 30 seconds. With heat on simmer, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir to combine.
2. Add cooked and rinsed pasta, peas, and cooked sliced chicken to the sauce. Mix to combine. If you cooked pasta in salted water, if you seasoned chicken generously with salt and used canned tomato sauce - there is really no need to add salt at this point as everything should be just perfect. Nevertheless, taste your final pasta and add salt if necessary.