I used chicken fillets instead of breasts and they were really tender. I also used my frozen tomatoes.
– 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
– ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
– 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
– 1 cup heavy cream
– ½ cup finely grated Parmesan — a little more doesn’t hurt
– 2 teaspoons dried basil
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes — I usually add more at the table
– 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
– 1 teaspoon sugar, optional but I usually add it
– Extra Parmesan and dried basil for the top, if you like
Start with your oven at 375°F. Get out the
glass Casserole dish—9×13—and just leave
it on the counter so it’s ready.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This is
one of those steps I used to skip because honestly it seemed like busywork, but
it does matter. A wet chicken breast in a wet sauce takes longer to cook and
the surface texture stays strange. So. Pat it dry.
Season both sides with about half the salt and
half the pepper, then lay the pieces in the dish with a little space between
them. Don’t crowd them. The sauce needs room to get around them.
In a bowl—I use a medium one, whatever that means, the one
that’s bigger than a cereal bowl but smaller than what I’d use for
salad—combine the crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, Parmesan, dried basil, minced
garlic, red pepper flakes, the oil or butter, the rest of your salt and pepper,
and the sugar if you’re using it. Stir it until it looks like one cohesive
thing. You’ll see the cream and tomato come together into that rose-pink color
and it’ll smell good even before it hits the oven.
Pour it over the chicken Slowly, making sure every
piece gets covered. Use a spoon to nudge sauce into the corners if it pools in
the middle. You want the whole dish coated—this isn’t a recipe where the sauce
stays on top. It bakes around and under everything.
Cover tightly with foil and bake 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, take the foil
off—carefully,and put the dish back in uncovered. Another 15 to 20 minutes.
You’re looking for bubbling around the edges.
Let it rest in the dish for 5 to 10 minutes
before you serve it.
Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread
