Ingredients
Ingredients, Shopping List amounts, and highlighted step quantities follow your servings. Keep temperatures, piece sizes, and cooking times as written; larger batches may need more pans. Check any flagged step against the ingredients.
Check off ingredients as you prep.
- 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced into cutlets)
- 12 oz Penne or fettuccine pasta
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 2–3 tbsp Salted Perfection Santa Maria Select Blend (divided)
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained and chopped)
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 2 cups Fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup Reserved pasta water (starchy liquid gold)
Allergen check: Milk recognized in these ingredients. Check package labels and substitutions.
Step by step
- Pat the chicken cutlets completely dry with a paper towel. This is crucial because surface moisture creates steam, which prevents the Maillard reaction—that beautiful browning process that creates flavor. Season the chicken generously with about 1.5 tablespoons of Salted Perfection Santa Maria Select Blend.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. This water is full of starch, which acts as a binder to help emulsify our sauce later.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan, or you will lower the temperature too much and steam the meat. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Remove chicken and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. In the same pan, add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute, scraping up the 'fond'—the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. That is concentrated flavor.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it reduce slightly for 2-3 minutes to thicken the liquid matrix.
- Lower the heat to low. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, stream in the reserved pasta water slowly while whisking to adjust the viscosity.
- Add the spinach and stir until it wilts from the residual heat. Return the chicken and the cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss everything to coat evenly, ensuring the sauce adheres to the pasta surface.
- Taste and sprinkle with the remaining Salted Perfection Santa Maria Select Blend if you need more punch. DUNZO!
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A little more about this recipe
Timing
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield & storage
Original yield
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to re-emulsify the sauce.
From Tony’s kitchen
We are breaking down the science of a proper emulsion today. This isn't just tossing cream on noodles; it is about utilizing the starch from the pasta water and the lipids in the heavy cream to create a velvety sauce that actually clings to the pasta rather than sliding off. We use Salted Perfection Santa Maria Select Blend to introduce a complex profile of garlic, rosemary, and mustard without having to chop a dozen herbs. It creates a robust flavor foundation for the chicken.
Nutrition • per serving
Ingredient notes
Ingredients & allergen check
Major-allergen signals: Milk
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced into cutlets)
- Penne or fettuccine pasta
- Olive oil
- Salted Perfection Santa Maria Select Blend (divided)
- Garlic (minced)
- Sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- Fresh baby spinach
- Reserved pasta water (starchy liquid gold)
Santa Maria blend: Sea salt, Garlic, Black pepper, Grapefruit, Paprika, Onion, Rosemary, Mustard, and Spices
Check every package label. Brands, substitutions, shared equipment, and cross-contact can change allergen exposure.
