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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
Delicious! All the flavors work well together!
Hey Beth,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! xx
Delish! Got rave reviews from the family! I’ll be making this again!
Hi Cathy,
Happy Sunday! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx
This is one of my family’s favorite pasta dishes, second only to the One Pot Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta! We’ve made it numerous numerous times over the last several years. The flavors are SO yummy! Be sure to include the lemon. SO good! I do change it up a little by boiling the pasta on it’s own and then adding it to the sauce at the end. Works out perfectly every time!
Hey Erica,
Happy Monday!! Thrilled to hear this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks for making it so often and your feedback!🌷
My all time favorite pasta pasta recipe!!!!! Love that the pasta is cooked in the same pot. After many times making it we have tweaked it for what works for our family – more chicken and spinach, add zucchini and omit lemon and dijon. Chicken is so flavorful using the sun dried tomato oil!
Hey Jennifer,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Have the best weekend:)
Don’t cook the pasta on the side!??? What the actual …
Hi Steve,
Correct, this is a one pot meal, so everything is cooked together:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
SO delicious!! Husband and kids approve! Will be a repeat recipe! Thank you for creating!
Hey Jessica,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend:) x
Love this recipe. My son says it’s the best thing I’ve ever made! Made it last week, making again tonight. As our family says “it’s restaurant quality”.
Hey Tonya,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Happy Sunday! XxT
This is officially my husband’s favorite dish. Since you first published this recipe in 2021, he has asked for it at least once a week! It’s comfort food at its best! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Thanks so much, Virginia! Love to hear this recipe is always enjoyed! Hope you are having a nice weekend! xT
Hi. I am confused, do you drain the pasta once it’s cooked, or just add the ingredients to the pasta water? It doesn’t look like it in the picture…TIA
Hi Wendy,
No need to drain the pasta for this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Delicious! Fabulous for guests! Easy to put together! Another winner!
Thanks so much, Laura! So glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful weekend! xT
I want to serve this to guests; however, I like a ready-to-go-meal and clean kitchen when they arrive. After completion of the cooking, can this pasta dish sit in the pan for 30 minutes and then reheat when time to serve?
30 minutes gives me time to spruce up and light candles. 😉
Hi Laura,
Totally, that will work nicely for you:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
It was fantastic and so easy! Dinner guests raved about the dish. It’s a “keeper!” Thank you!
This was delicious! So flavorful and came together quickly. I was particularly impressed with how tender the chicken stayed under these instructions. Thanks for another winner, Tieghan!
Made this recipe for the 1st time. Delicious flavor and I like that you use one pan!! Definitely needed more water to cook pasta. I am thinking the leftovers will be even better! 😊 Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hi there,
Amazing! Thank you for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! xxT
My husband would eat this every day of the week, it is a banger!
Lol thanks so much, Karen! Love to hear you family enjoys this recipe! Happy New Year!🥳🥂 xx
Made exactly as written, and it’s such an elegant one pot meal. I was skeptical about the pasta and 3.5 cups of water but it worked and the pasta was perfectly Al dente with a luscious sauce.
Hi Lauren,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out nicely for you! Happy New Year!!🎆 xxT
This may be a silly question, but, I am wondering if you drain the pasta when it’s done cooking?
Hi Sherri,
For this recipe, you do not need to drain the pasta:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx