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This simple one pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is the perfect winter dinner. Quick, easy, hearty, and so delicious! Pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato spinach sauce. Cooked together with rigatoni pasta for a quick dinner made in one pot. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. Great for a weeknight, but equally fancy enough to serve up at your next holiday dinner. You can’t go wrong with this Tuscan style pasta.
This December has been a special one in that four out of six of my brothers are here in Colorado all month. Normally, they’ll all come in the days leading up to Christmas, but with some snowboard events happening here all month long, the boys have been at home.
And when I say the boys, I mean Kai and Red. Well, Creighton is here too. I’m not exactly sure of his reasoning for being here all month. But I truly believe it’s because he misses Oslo when he leaves. And Trevor has been back and forth. I love having them home. Each one provides a little inspiration on any given day.
Lately, the boys have been requesting a lot of pasta and chicken. I’ve been making random dishes every night. But this one turned out so good that I wanted to recreate the dish and share it.
Everyone at the table loved this pasta. Even my dad, who’s not that into chicken and pasta, said the flavor was delicious.
And what do I love about this dish? Just how quick and easy it is to prepare!
The details
Seeing as this is a one pot recipe, it’s pretty straight forward. I start with the sun-dried tomatoes. I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. The oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil.
While I’m cooking the chicken, I season it with a homemade Italian seasoning blend…dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage. Then I add smoked paprika and chili flakes. It’s a delicious mix and makes the chicken very flavorful.
Oh, and I add some parmesan too!
Once the chicken has cooked, add some water to make a paste. Then add the pasta and cook until the pasta is just al dente. Stir in a bit if cream, lots of spinach, the sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan.
Add the chicken back to the pasta and toss everything until it is creamy.
I serve each bowl with extra parmesan and a squeeze of lemon. DELICIOUS!
It’s everything you’d expect out of a multi-step recipe, but all made in way less than an hour – and in one pot too. Simple, simple – and we love that.
You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for holiday dinners with friends and family. I’m sure I’ll be remaking this over the holidays. My family members are slowly starting to make their way back to Colorado for Christmas (my remaining brothers and cousins), so this will be on repeat.
Looking for winter pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 519 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning (see note)
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- 1. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large pot or skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.2. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, the paprika, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup parmesan, cook another minute, then remove the chicken from the pot. 3. To the same pot, add the butter, shallot, garlic, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. Stir in the cream, mustard, parmesan, spinach, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate.4. Serve the pasta topped with lemon juice and fresh parmesan.
Notes
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
This post was originally published on December 16, 2021
My question is do I need to drain the water once the pasta is cooked before adding the next step ?
Hi Angie,
No, you do not need to strain the water. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Thanks I plan on making it for dinner I will report back here! ♥️
Sounds delicious! What do you think of substituting shrimp for the chicken?
Hey Chamaine,
I think shrimp would also be a great idea! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
So delicious! I had to add some extra water because the pasta I used was larger & took longer to cook – still turned out creamy and wonderful!
Hey Melissa,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
My husband has a tough time with heavy cream. What’s a good substitute that’s easier on the stomach? Thanks
Try 2/3 cup soy milk and 1/3 cup olive oil
Hey there,
You could also use whole milk. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Looks delicious! I’m going to give it a try!
Hi Sharon,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
The sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese have enough salt for the entire dish, but if you like your pasta salted, add the dash of salt the recipe recommends. However, don’t add salted butter too, as it makes the dish too salty. Unsalted butter’s perfect. Thanks for a great recipe Tieghan!
Hi Asha,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
Just made this for my 3 teenagers for lunch (they work nights) and all of them loved it. I did have to double it, because they are big eaters and like leftovers. Since I doubled it I did drain off about a cup of pasta water. It made a thin pasta sauce that was not heavy at all. If you are making it as printed above, you will not need to drain any pasta water off. Will make this again.
Hey there,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
Super delicious.. I adore pasta and chicken mixed together !!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Healthy recipes for the new year?? These are beginning to all look the same ?
Heavy calorie laden, dense foods. Nothing healthy here.
Stay tuned for healthy January or try one of my salads:) Happy Holidays!
I love a good one pot rigatoni! I’ll be doing this for dinner tonight! Looks delicious!
I hope you love the recipe Andrea!
It’s amazing!! Perfect seasoning to spice to cream ratio! We love it! ??
Hey Andrea,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
Sounds just like all the other Tuscan chicken recipes all over the internet
Did you make the recipe yet? It feels unfair to give a low review and comment solely based on popularity of the recipe. I made it tonight and it was delicious
Hey Amy,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
I think you will need the water to cook the pasta. It will absorb. See the similar recipie she orzo does with water, wine and cream. Plenty of liquid necessary. https://fett-weg.today/one-skillet-creamy-sun-dried-tomato-chicken-and-orzo/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi Melissa,
Correct, the water does not need to be drained for this recipe:) xTieghan
This is confusing at the point of boiling the water for the noodles. Do u add water to the sautéed onion and garlic? Do u drain the water after the pasta is done? It seems like too much water to be absorbed by the pasta.
I often do a one pot pasta and 3 1/2 cups should be just enough to cook and absorb into the rigatoni. There might be some liquid left but as everything is added back to the pot, it should all blend with the sauce. If it doesn’t work out that way, maybe remove just a bit of the water before adding the rest..?
So does the pasta water get drained?
It does not get drained:)
Hi Joan,
Please follow the recipe as written. The water is not to be drained, the noodles will cook in the water and the rest will be used for the sauce. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Should not at least some of the pasta water be drained?
Hi Deana,
None of the pasta water is to be drained. The noodles will need to cook in the water and the remaining will help make the sauce. Please follow the recipe as is:) xTieghan
To make it dairy free, would you recommend subbing coconut milk for the cream and just eliminating the parmesan?
Hi Meredith,
I would use coconut cream to help with the thickening. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Just made this tonight for dinner.
It was delicious.
Followed the recipe to a T and it came out perfect.
Thanks so much Tieghan & Happy Holidays!
Hey Sue,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
Do you drain the water?
Hi Heather,
No need to drain the water, it’s going to become part of the sauce. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Wow ! This looks amazing and I cant wait to make it ! I just want to make sure I have it right – after you boil the pasta , you don’t drain any excess water ? Does that pasta water just become part of the sauce ? Tx so much and have a very Merry Christmas and New Year ! ( Love your blog and Instagram so much ! )
Ah, good catch!
Everything is going to be added to the pot, no need to drain:)
Hi. Were you able to get an answer regarding draining any water? 3.5 cups of water seems like a lot to leave in. Thank you.
Hi Claudia,
The pasta is going to cook in that sauce, absorbing a lot of it and then the remaining will help create the sauce. Please follow the recipe as is and do not drain the water. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi Patricia,
Yes, that is correct! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan