Chicken mozzarella pasta with sun-dried tomatoes

This pasta has the potential to overtake bolognese as a go-to meal.

If you love Italian food and pasta in general, this is sure to become a favourite dish. Creamy pasta dishes can often be just a bit too heavy, but the tiny bit of spice in this one balances out the creaminess and ensures that you can’t get enough. It can easily be modified to suit tastes and dietary needs – add chicken if you’d like to bulk it up a bit, and prepare it with your favourite type of pasta. It’s just about a guarantee that the first time you make mozzarella pasta with sun-dried tomatoes won’t be the last!

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup pure cream
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon basil (if using dry basil), if using fresh basil, you can add more
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed chilli flakes (at least, add more to taste)
• 500g spaghetti
• 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water
• Salt, to taste
• Parmesan cheese to serve

Method

1. In a large pan on high heat, cook garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (oil drained) in 2 tablespoons of oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes) for 1 minute.
2. Cook spaghetti in salted water according to package instructions and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooked pasta water.
3. Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and add them back to the pan. Add cream and cheese and bring to a gentle boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms.
4. Gradually add about 1/2 cup of cooked pasta to the creamy sauce, and stir to combine (use more or less depending on the thickness of sauce). Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
5. Add salt and more red pepper flakes to taste, before serving with the spaghetti. Serve with parmesan.