Spaghetti napoli with chicken

Ingredients

• •350 g spaghetti
• •~400 g chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• •~400 g canned chopped tomatoes (or passata)
• •1 sachet Knorr Fix Napolitana
• •100–200 g Gouda cheese, grated
• •Fresh basil, small handful, chopped
• •2 tbsp olive oil
• •Salt and black pepper, to taste
• •Pasta cooking water, as needed
• •Pinch of sugar

Directions

1. Prep: Cut chicken into bite-size cubes (~2 cm). Season with salt and pepper. Grate the Gouda. Chop the basil. Boil a kettle of water for the pasta.

2. Chicken: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer. Leave undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden, then stir and fry 5–7 more minutes until cooked through. Leave the chicken in the pan.

3. Sauce: Lower to medium heat. Add Knorr Fix Napolitana with water (as on the sachet). Stir and simmer 4–5 minutes on its own. Then add canned tomatoes and chopped basil. Stir well and simmer a few more minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. Cook the pasta: Boil spaghetti in well-salted water until 1 minute less than package time (al dente). Save about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

5. Combine: Add drained spaghetti to the pan with the chicken and sauce. Toss on medium-low heat, adding splashes of pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta (saucy, not dry, not soupy).

6. Finish: Over low heat, stir in grated Gouda in handfuls until melted and creamy. Turn off the heat. Adjust seasoning or loosen with more pasta water if needed.

7. Serve: Serve immediately with black pepper on top.