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.
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.
I’ve already left a review of this recipe as it’s a dish I make frequently for my husband and I . I occasionally need to cook for large groups and decided that this would be a good recipe to scale up for a crowd. I was right. I needed two very large skillets but is was super easy to make and it was very well received. People were coming back for thirds!! One thing that I did find that made it easier to cook quickly was using a smaller pasta (mini-penne) and I kept the cover on as well. It took awhile to prep everything but from the time I actually started cooking until I was dishing up plates was only 30 minutes. Thanks for this recipe!!
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe so often, I am so glad it worked for a crowd as well! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you:) Have a great week! xTieghan
Amazing and so easy… thank you for this recipe. I mixed 1/3rd cup almond milk with a little less than 2/3rd cup olive oil, used that instead of heavy cream. Also I was sipping a lychee martini while cooking and forgot to add the garlic and onion* in the butter LOL, I added it afterward in the water & it still came out super delicious. Everyone was blown away & said it was better than restaurant version!! Served with quick homemade garlic bread and a side salad, white wine. I’ll 100% be making this again.
*I had some onions and used that instead of shallot.
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xTieghan
I’ve cooked dinner almost every night for 14 years for my husband. He usually says, “that was wonderful, thank you.” In the last few weeks I’ve made about 6 of your recipes (including this one) and EVERY SINGLE ONE he’s said, “wow, this is REALLY delicious,” “this is AMAZING,” “what did you do to this stuff? it’s incredible.” Every recipe you create has so much flavor! Thank you!
Hey Angele,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks so much for the kind message, so glad your husband has been enjoying the recipes! Have a great weekend:) xx
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Hi Sol,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try or have any other questions! xTieghan
As a family we hate mustard, any way we just not use it?
Hi Marelee,
Sure, just skip the mustard:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
I’ve made this several times now, and sent the recipe to my son’s girlfriend too! Every time, it’s a crowd pleaser with everyone, even my husband who usually steers away from anything ‘creamy’ or with cheese 🙂 The flavors are just so perfect together! This one will be a favorite forever.
Hey Jean,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your comment and making this recipe. So glad it hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight. WOW! It was a big hit! I needed a quick and easy dinner and had all the ingredients on hand (even better!) I added a little of the pasta cooking watwe at the end and it added to the creaminess. Plus we love spicy, so I was liberal with the red pepper. Thanks again for another fantastic recipe!
Hey Linda,
Thanks so much for your comment! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Everyone enjoyed this! Very simple to make ….
The flavors were perfect….
Hi Geraldine,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! Have the best weekend!? xxTieghan
Can this be made ahead? If so, how far ahead and what is the best way to store it? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
If you are wanting to do a make ahead pasta, I would try one of these recipes:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pot-30-minute-creamy-tomato-basil-pasta-bake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pan-baked-cheesy-basil-pasta/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pan-four-cheese-sun-dried-tomato-and-spinach-drunken-pasta-bake/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/alla-vodka-pizza-pasta/
These can all be made up until the point of baking, covered and kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours, and then baked when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if you have any other questions!! xT
Super easy to make this one pot dish and lots of flavor. Don’t forget the lemon! Everyone loves it!
Hey Kate,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT
Hey! Do u drain water from cooking pasta? Or is it used alongside cream? Thanks! Can’t wait to try ❤️
Hey Jax,
No need to drain the water, it will help to create the sauce. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Made this for the family tonight (in Australia). It worked exactly per the recipe, looked like a restaurant meal and tasted amazing! Thank you so much :0)
Hi Haylee,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! Have a great week:) xxT
Amazing recipe!! This is the 3rd time I’m making, my family loves!
Hey Kendall,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xT
I have made this several times for my husband and I, and we LOVE it! Easily one of our favorites from HBH. It’s been added to our rotation, and I’m excited to share it with others as well 🙂
Hi Brittany,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great week! ?xxT
Can I substitute heavy cream with full fat coconut cream?
Hi Emily,
Yes, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxT
Where does all the water go?
Hey Connie,
Most of the water cooks out, any remaining water becomes part of the sauce. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Ok, this is an official favorite of ours. My husband and son rave about this. I made it last week and again tonight. Incredibly flavorful and all in one pot. A definite keeper. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Cindy,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT
Really enjoyed this recipe! Can leftovers be frozen?
Mary C
Hey Mary,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) Sure, that would be fine to do! xxT
I made this last night and it was wonderful. I love cooking with you! I added sautéed mushrooms, black truffle chili oil and some of the sauce I had leftover from a prior recipe (creamy feta sauce) It was awesome..thank you
Hi Suzi,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
This is so yum! Just wondering if your would be able to male ahead or do in the slow cooker? Wanting to make this for a crowd at Easter
Hey Jayne,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Sure, you could make ahead of time and reheat on low. xxT