Chicken: Cut the breast into bite-size pieces. Toss the pieces with salt, pepper, and oregano. ½ lb chicken breast + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper + ½ teaspoon oregano
Melt the butter and cook the chicken for about 3 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. 2 tablespoons butter
Sauté: Add the grated garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant and golden. Don’t let it get brown. 3 large garlic cloves
Add pasta, chicken stock, and milk. Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pot, leaving a crack open, and turn the heat down to low. ½ lb short pasta + 1 cup chicken stock + 1 cup whole milk
Simmer for 6 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 1-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the pasta repeatedly during the last few minutes; it should be cooked al dente and not too soft.
Add: Turn off the heat and stir the Parmesan, cream cheese, and parsley. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper (depending on the stock, you might not need salt).2 tablespoons cream cheese + ½ cup Parmesan + 2 tablespoons fresh parsley + fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
Leave to stand for about 2 minutes, stir again carefully, and serve immediately.
Notes
The recipe can be easily doubled.
Butter: Salted or unsalted butter, but adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Short pasta shapes: Rigatoni, rotini, farfalle, penne, macaroni, etc.
Stock: Homemade or store-bought chicken stock. Adjust the seasoning accordingly; some stocks are saltier than others.