Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Cook rigatoni pasta in it until al dente. Follow the package instructions (see Note D). Once cooked, drain in a colander then drizzle olive oil on it and gently mix. This will prevent pasta from clumping together.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add minced garlic, chicken pieces, salt, ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly or until the chicken no longer looks pink but is cooked through. Don't let it brown.

Pour the broth/stock into the skillet and stir. Let it come to a simmer.

Then turn the heat down to medium-low and add cream cheese cubes. Stir/whisk continuously until it melts and the sauce looks smooth. Simmer 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens a little.

Mix in the basil pesto and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir frequently.

Now add the cooked pasta and sun-dried tomatoes (optional) and gently fold to combine. Let it cook one last minute. If the sauce looks too thick, add a splash of broth/water.

Once everything is heated through, transfer to serving plates. Garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Enjoy!