Creamy, sun-dried tomato pasta with chicken… you know you want it; but let me show you why you NEED it! Just watch.
This time of year, where we’re short on daylight, I feel thrown off. Seriously, once the sun sets, I’m in a frantic rush to get home thinking it’s almost 8! when the truth is that it gets dark while I’m packing up my things at work.
The panic starts the second I get home and ask myself, what am I going to make for dinner? Although, you know I use the MOMables Meal Plans sometimes I’m in recipe development weeks and I have nothing planned.
Do you ever have those panic moments about dinner too? Okay, I’m glad I’m not the only one!
If you’ve been silently screaming S.O.S! around dinner time, I’m glad you’re here because this sun-dried tomato chicken pasta is a restaurant-style meal that comes together faster than you can drive to a restaurant and get seated.
Best Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe
Let me tell you why you NEED this sun-dried tomato pasta recipe in your chicken dinner rotation.
1. It’s creamy, pasta perfection that tastes fancy with a capital F! It’s a great way to impress dinner guests without spending hours in the kitchen.
2. Besides the fact that this dish is pasta coated in the perfect creamy sauce, this recipe is one of my favorites because it’s made in ONE large skillet! Need a moment? I totally understand.
3. You can cut the recipe time in half by using a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Remove the meat, cut into bite-size pieces and toss into the cooked sauce prior to adding the pasta.
Today, sun-dried tomatoes are the MVP of the recipe. These little guys give off some amazing and robust flavors that amp up any dish.
If you don’t already, I highly advise keeping a jar or two of sun dried tomatoes in the pantry. They go great in salads, on top a pizza, blended into a dreamy pesto sauce, or whisked into this creamy pasta sauce!
You’ll find sun-dried tomatoes on the shelf, somewhere up high between the canned tomatoes and the jarred pesto sauce. Make sure to get the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. The oil keeps their flavor and juices intact and allows leftovers to be kept in the fridge for months.
Also, more juice = more flavor, and we want ALL THE FLAVOR.
Quick tip – double this recipe so you can pack sun-dried tomato pasta for lunch tomorrow. You won’t regret it.
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Creamy, sun-dried tomato chicken pasta made in one skillet for a delicious, quick and EASY weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1–2 tablespoons oil, for cooking
- 4-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound chicken breasts, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup half and half, heavy cream, or whole milk
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring pasta water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain. Set pasta aside.
- On a cutting board, finely chop sun-dried tomatoes.
- Season chicken with salt and paprika.
- In a 10 to 12-inch large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté until browned on all sides and cooked through. Add sun-dried tomato pieces and garlic, sauté for an additional minute.
- Add half and half to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to combine liquid and sun-dried tomatoes. Once a thick sauce is formed, add dried basil.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet and combine with sauce. Add 1/2 cup reserved water, and stir into the sauce. If it’s too thick, add additional reserved pasta water.
- Top with Parmesan cheese prior to serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 317.8mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36.6 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 57.1mg
Keywords: sun-dried tomato chicken pasta