Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

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• 8 oz dried pasta (I usually use a shorter cut, like penne, rigatoni, farfalle, etc)
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small bite-sized pieces)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
• 7 oz jar sun dried tomatoes in oil (roughly chopped, reserving the oil in the jar)
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 1/3 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated tastes the best)
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh basil

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water!
2. Drain, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
3. Season chicken pieces with salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar and 1 Tbsp butter over MED HIGH heat and add the chicken pieces, sautéing 3-4 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate.
5. Add garlic and sun dried tomatoes to skillet and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in half and half and let sauce come to a simmer. Add mozzarella and Parmesan, stirring until melted.
6. Add pasta and cooked chicken (plus any juices that have accumulated on the plate), stirring to combine well. Stir in reserved pasta water, a little bit at a time, if needed, to thin out the sauce.
7. Stir in basil and serve, garnished with more minced basil if desired.