Chicken Penne with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Pesto Cream

Found this in Robin Rescues Dinner, online here.


Chicken Penne With Artichokes, Tomatoes and Pesto Cream
12 ounces penne pasta I used a whole box of rotini
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each), cubed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup heavy cream, or more as necessary
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown on all sides. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, cream and pesto and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
Fold in the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese and cook for 1 minute to heat through, adding more cream or a little water if necessary to create a thinner sauce. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
Source: Robin Rescues Dinner by Robin Miller (Clarkson Potter; $19.99)
This was EXCELLENT. It was so easy to make too, the hardest thing was cooking the pasta or maybe cubing the chicken. I planned to make the suggested frisee, watercress, and pear salad as an accompaniment, but my frisee had gone bad, so no dice... I served with a regular salad, though. BAJ enjoyed this one too, but we couldn't get The Boy to even try his. This made a LOT, so I'll be bringing the leftovers in for lunch club.
YUM.