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
I love this dish. How much water do I use if I want to make 9 servings? For six servings, it is 3.5 cups of water.
Thanks,
Janet
Hi Janet,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well! I would use an additional cup and a half of water. xx
We loved this dish! Such awesome flavors! We want to increase the amount of sauce though. How can I do it without watering the flavors down? If I add more cream and cheese, should I add more seasonings and sun dried tomatoes?
Hi Laura,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!! I would just double the recipe, except for the amount of pasta for extra sauce. I hope this helps! xT
Finally made this for dinner and this is definitely going to be part of the regular rotation! Excellent flavor with a lot of depth. Family loved this! Definitely 5 stars.
Hi Gina,
Perfect!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it and your comment! xT
Hi, I just made the recipe as written and it was delicious! I loved all the flavors combined. It was a 10 out of 10! Everyone in the family LOVED IT!
Thank you.
Thanks so much, Louisa!! Love to hear you enjoyed this pasta! Have a great Sunday! xx
This was excellent! Will be on repeat at our house!
HI Mary,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and your feedback! Happy Holidays! XxT
I used a rigatoni for this recipe. I definitely needed more than 3 1/2 cups of water for the pound of pasta. It also takes between 13 and 15 minutes to be cooked.
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry you had to make some adjustments. Have the best week! xx
This was very easy and quick. More importantly it was delicious.
Hi Monica,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xxT
I just tried this recipe as a taste test before a holiday dinner party. It’s great and easy to make. If I wanted to make it the day before the party, how might I heat it up the next day in a way that would allow it to be still “juicy” and saucy?
Thank you!
Cindy
Thanks so much, Cindy!! I am so glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! I would just cover with foil and warm on low in the oven. Have a great Tuesday! xx
We love this recipe and have made it many times. Some things that should definitely be updated:
– More water and time WILL be needed to cook your noodles. 8 has never been close to enough, no matter the noodles used.
– Cook chicken in batches to prevent crowding so that it can properly brown instead of steaming.
– Go easy on the lemon, or consider omitting entirely. We have found that it overpowers the dish, and all of our guests have preferred it without lemon.
– A blend of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano is much better than straight Parm. The Pec provides more creaminess. Shaker bottle “fake” parm also works great.
Hey Colin,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe so often and your feedback, so glad to hear it is always enjoyed! XxT
This was such an easy, great recipe! Even my kids loved it! Delicious!
Hey Brittany,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Happy Halloween! 🎃
A little runny, but super flavorful.
Hey Robert,
Happy Monday! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well! Happy Halloween week! 🎃
Is this recipe in one of the cookbooks?
Hi Kayla,
This recipe is only on the blog:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Do you drain the water at all or leave it while stirring in the cream and other ingredients?
Hey Deanna,
No need to drain the water in this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
If you are like me and don’t like mustard, omit it. I figured it would fade away but I taste it prominently, kind of ruined the dish for me.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you did not enjoy the mustard. xx
I made this tonight using shrimp and scallops instead, 10/10 so good! Definitely needed to add more water for the pasta around 4 1/2 cups . And we also mixed in some ricotta at the end ! Made it even better !
Hey Kelli,
Yay!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great week! xT