Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet

With all of my Parade Day write-ups, I have a backlog of posts! We had a semi-lazy Sunday, but also did some serious cleaning.  I also found time to make Cream Cheese & Potato Soup for lunch.  After mopping the floors, cleaning the kitchen, and folding several loads of laundry, it was finally dinner time!

The original recipe called for Lawry’s Garlic Herb Marinade, but I found a Target brand that worked just fine!  Since we have 1/2 the bottle left (and because dinner was good!), KK informed me that Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet will be on the menu again soon.  I'm ok with that.  I'll probably use 12 ounces of pasta next time (updated in ingredients below); tonight's dish was a little on the saucy side, so adding more pasta should fix that.  Also, we'll try using evaporated milk like Iowa Girl Eats did; we had a can on hand for this evening, but already had a pint of heavy cream open in the fridge.  If you haven't already figured it out - KK likes to make sure nothing goes to waste, so using the open heavy cream was a must this weekend!

Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 2-4

Marinade Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 bottle garlic herb marinade
2 tablespoons pesto

Skillet Ingredients 
12 oz. pasta (penne, fusilli, etc.)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoons pesto
crushed red pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Combine marinade and pesto in a large Ziploc bag then add chicken and squish to coat. Marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours.

2.  When you're ready to start cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil then season with salt and add pasta. Cook until al dente then drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, saute marinated chicken in a large skillet sprayed well with non-stick spray over medium heat for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Plate cooked chicken, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.  Set aside. Carefully wipe out skillet with a paper towel. 

4. Still over medium heat, add oil to the same skillet, then add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, then add garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 30 more seconds. 

5. Carefully add chicken broth then let simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. 

6. Add tomato sauce and heavy cream; whisk in flour and pesto. Simmer until thick and bubbly, about 5 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and chicken, then toss to combine. To add more seasoning to the dish, top with crushed red pepper.