Next Post
Brown Butter Iced Mocha Cinnamon Rolls.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
Can we add pasta that already has been cooked to the recipe? I’ve found that the pasta never seems to cook properly for me (from some of your other recipes). Not a fan of putting uncooked pasta into sauces with water. Doesn’t work for me but still want to try this recipe.
I wondered the same, but my pasta came out perfectly.
I understand your concern, I had it also. I found it best to watch closely as the pasta and sauce cook. More water may be needed or if the heat is too high and water absorbs pasta too fast, then turn heat down.
Hi Michelle,
You would have to omit the water and change the recipe up to do this. Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I could not get the pasta to cook in 8 min with 3 1/2 cups of water. I had to keep adding water to get the pasta to cook. Otherwise – delicious!
Hey Kristen,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. So sorry about the pasta! Happy Holidays!? xx
Doubled the recipe and made it for my fam… everyone loooooved it!! Added a little extra parmesan than the recipe called for bc I wanted it extra creamy. The house smelled amazing and I had hardly any dishes ????
Hi Grace,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
The 3.5 cups of water wasn’t enough to cook the pasta. After 8 minutes it was still hard, and I had to add extra water and cook it several minutes longer to get it al dente. I even added extra spinach, thinking that would add extra liquid. Other than that it was delicious.
I’ve had to adjust the fluid content with a few of your other recipes as well.
Hey Jane,
So sorry to hear about your pasta, thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
This was sooooo good! I was worried the pasta would not cook to al dente because the water didn’t completely cover the pasta. However, after adding the cream and the juices fro the chicken then stirring gently for a few minutes to combine it was perfect. I love Dijon Mustard and added an extra teaspoon. I also used thighs instead of breasts because that’s what I had. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Hi Lisa,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Are you supposed to chop the spinach? I needed to cook the spinach down several more minutes after adding so felt as though there wasn’t enough sauce afterwards
Hey Lindsey,
Nope, I did not chop my spinach, it should wilt down pretty quickly from the heat:) xTieghan
Thanks! I’ll go higher heat then. Delicious recipe!
Everyone at my house has Covid except me so I made this wonderful dish for dinner. They loved it an appreciated a hearty pasta. I enjoyed it, too. The seasonings were spot on and the lemon at the end was the perfect touch. Really good! Thank you!!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
We miss going to restaurants for our favourite dishes but this recipe is so good. I set the table. Lit a candle and we forgot about Covid.
Hi Renee,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Yum – delicious! Using the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to sauté the chicken is so smart! And it’s so nice not to have to wash another pan since the pasta cooks in the same pan (there’s no water left to drain once the pasta is cooked)! This was a perfect Friday night dinner, and it also looks very Christmasy! Will definitely make again.
Hey Ellie,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
Do you have the nutritional info? I would love to make this.
Hi Erin,
So sorry, I only have the estimated calorie count. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so delicious & easy to make!! The flavors are incredible & the only thing I would do next time is add more spinach. I used whole wheat fusilli instead of rigatoni. Be sure to try this soon!
Hey Amy,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
This looks amazing! Thoughts on doing shrimp instead of chicken?
Hey there,
Shrimp would also work well here! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this today .
It was absolutely delicious and the whole family loved it including the fussy eater .
I made enough for 2 days but there was none left ?
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hey Sue,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
How does the recipe keep as leftovers?
Hey there,
This recipe is great as leftovers! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This is a hearty pasta packed with flavor. All the ingredients come together so well. Really enjoyed this meal, and loved that it was one-pot. It was very easy to make, and so was clean up. I look forward to making this again.
Hey Tamara,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
Oh man, that mustard is the secret ingredient! So good!
Hey Heather,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx