Name: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces pasta (ziti); 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil; 2 boneless (skinless chicken breasts); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 3 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 cup half-and-half (warmed); 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; Reserved pasta water

Recipe

This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta combines juicy chicken, ziti, and sun-dried tomatoes in a garlicky Parmesan sauce for an easy 30-minute dinner.

Made in one pan and in 30 minutes, this chicken pasta with sun-dried tomatoes is coated in a creamy, garlicky sauce that turns any weeknight dinner into a win.

overhead view of a skillet filled with chicken pasta with a creamy sun dried tomato sauce a wooden spoon resting inside, and a bowl in the corner filled with some.

Chicken Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

When I'm not making a batch of my creamy chicken alfredo, I'm making this chicken pasta recipe. It's the perfect excuse to use up that half-used jar of sun-dried tomatoes lingering in the fridge, and the flavor they add to the creamy sauce is unreal. It’s an all-in-one meal my family loves, and I know yours will too!

Ingredients

I love using ziti or penne pasta to trap the sauce in the nooks (any shape works). Chicken breasts (or thighs) seasoned with a little salt and paprika. Sun‑dried tomatoes in a jar with oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes add tons of flavor to the sauce, while half-and-half and Parmesan cheese make it creamy. You’ll reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce and help it coat every piece of pasta.

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

Cook the pasta.
Cook the ziti, reserving some pasta water before draining. You'll use that starchy water later to thin out the sauce and make it extra creamy.
Cook the chicken.
Cook the seasoned chicken breasts whole, then let them rest before slicing so they stay juicy.

Make the sauce.
Cook the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings in the same skillet. Add the warm half-and-half, Parmesan, and pasta water to make the creamy sauce.

side by side image of making a recipe for sun dried tomato pasta with chicken. on left, sauteing the sun dried tomatoes and herbs to get the sauce started, on the right, the sauce is done

Bring it all together.
Add the pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet and toss to coat. Add a splash of pasta water if needed, then finish with Parmesan.

overhead view of making Chicken Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes. on left is combining the pasta and cooked chicken with the creamy sauce, on the right what it looks like after

Other Chicken & Pasta Recipes

Love this type of simple meals? Check out this out-of-this-world blackened chicken pasta or this lemon chicken asparagus pasta.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

large skillet of sun dried tomato chicken pasta

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta combines juicy chicken, ziti, and sun-dried tomatoes in a garlicky Parmesan sauce for an easy 30-minute dinner.

5 from 47 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta, ziti
4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup half-and-half, warmed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Reserved pasta water

Instructions

Prep

Cook the ziti according to package directions. Before draining, reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
While the pasta cooks, remove half of the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar and coarsely chop them on a board. Some come whole others sliced into strips. Either way, give them a chop.
Pat dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel, and pound down the thick side (if needed) so it cooks evenly. Season both sides with salt and paprika.

Cook the chicken

In a large skillet with sides, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 7 minutes on the first side, flip, and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side, until it's cooked through to 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest. Slice the chicken into ½-inch pieces right before adding it to the skillet.

Make the sauce

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the same skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring often, just until the garlic is fragrant.
Warm the half and half in the microwave for 45 seconds so it's not cold from the fridge. Pour in the half-and-half and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and stir to melt it into the sauce. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, warmed in the microwave if it cooled down, and stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Combine

Add the cooked ziti and the sliced chicken (and the juices from the plate) to the skillet and toss until the pasta is coated in the sauce. Turn off the heat. If the sauce is too thick, add another splash of hot pasta water.
Serve with sprinkled parmesan over the top.

Notes

Using rotisserie chicken: You can use 2-3 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Skip the steps for cooking the chicken, then add it to the sauce and simmer it for about 5 minutes to heat it up.

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