Chicken in creamy tomato sauce is an easy dish that’s company-worthy

It takes time to adjust to living in a new city. January marked the three-year anniversary of my move, and I finally feel like I’ve fully settled in.

While I am fortunate to have a good number of close friends across the country, I didn’t arrive with many in my new home. Making friends takes time — hundreds of hours of time spent together for an acquaintance to become a close friend, even. An easy way to accrue those hours is by doing everyday, ordinary activities together, such as sharing a meal. If you’re looking to build community, or deepen the relationships you already have, invite someone over for dinner and serve something simple but flavorful, like this creamy tomato chicken recipe.

“Inviting someone over for dinner” is not the same thing as “hosting a dinner party.” The latter can often feel like a big to-do requiring a picture-perfect tablescape and a pristinely clean home (for me, at least). The former is a much more casual and laid-back affair, with whatever dishes are clean and maybe a pile of laundry in the corner. And in terms of the food itself, there’s no need for anything particularly elaborate — this chicken recipe, which comes together in half an hour, would be right at home.

Simply seasoned boneless, skinless chicken breasts are cooked in a skillet just until browned on each side. In that same skillet, you begin building the sauce by sautéing shallots, followed by garlic, dried herbs and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for a background note of spice. A couple tablespoons of tomato paste add a boost of umami, plus sweetness and acidity, which are buoyed by dry white wine that gets reduced to concentrate the flavor. Heavy cream finishes the luscious sauce, to which the chicken is added to finish cooking all the way through. A sprinkling of chopped parsley adds a verdant, refreshing flourish.

It’s a relatively simple set of ingredients — many of which you probably already have in your pantry — but one taste, and you’ll see that this combination punches above its weight in flavor. And it’s aesthetically pleasing to boot. (I’ve never seen more excited responses to a recipe test photo I shared on social media.) Boil some pasta, rice or another grain; steam or roast your favorite vegetables; set out a few glasses to pour the rest of the bottle of wine; and all that’s missing are new acquaintances, old friends, roommates or family to join you at the dinner table for a few moments of connection.

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Chicken Breasts in Creamy Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds total)

Fine salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 medium shallots (6 ounces total), halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving

Cooked pasta, rice or other grain, for serving

In a large (12-inch) skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Set a large plate or platter and a lid for the skillet or sauté pan near your workspace.

Pat the chicken dry, sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (The chicken may not be fully cooked at this point.) Transfer the chicken to the prepared plate or platter.

Add the shallots to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and cook, stirring once or twice, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste until evenly incorporated.

Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the skillet, and cook until reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream. Taste, and season the sauce with salt and pepper, as desired.

Return the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, about 5 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the chicken with parsley and serve hot with pasta, rice or another grain.

Substitutions: For boneless, skinless chicken breasts, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. For shallots, use any type of onion. For Italian seasoning blend, use your favorite dried herb, or a mix. For white wine, use chicken broth or stock with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, and a pinch of sugar. For heavy cream, use crème fraîche. For parsley, use basil. Want more vegetables? Stir spinach or chard leaves into the sauce until wilted just before returning the chicken to the pan.

Makes 4 servings.

— Aaron Hutcherson