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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.
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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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this last night and it turned it was great!
I had some issues with the pasta not cooking through with the amount of liquid. I wonder if it would be better to cook the pasta seperately reserve a little pasta water then add in cream etc. Also , probably add MORE of the sun dried tomatoes and cheese. Otherwise this one is a keeper!
Hey Akash,
Happy Sunday!!❄️ I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out and sharing your feedback! I would try turning your heat down and see if that helps. xx
I don’t think this recipe was very clear. I think the part of the water really confused me. Do I add the water to the same pot as the butter, shallot, and Italian seasoning?
Or do I boil the water separately with the pasta and then add it in? I added the water and the pasta to the same pot and it made it very soupy.
If I boil the water separately, could I add in some pasta water to thicken it? If so, how much water could I add?
How do you get the parmesan cheese to melt? I used Frigo parmesan cheese and it literally just made one big stringy/gloppy mess of parmesan cheese.
I want to try this recipe again since I think it has potential.
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Everything is made in the one pot, including the water:) You can follow the instructions as written. I would use freshly grated part rather than something packaged, it works better for melting. I hope this helps! xx
Just made this. Definitely need way more water, as many have stated. It may be a good idea to test this recipe again (not just you – but other testers as well) and edit it, as it’s clear many people needed more water or cooking time. You have good flavor in your meals, but the instructions are often not so great and you can tell things are not double checked or tested more than once. It feels very hurried and rushed. Maybe focus on quality over quantity with your recipe posts! Just a suggestion. Thanks!
Hi Ang,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback;) I test all of my recipes between 5-10 times before sharing them. This recipe worked well for a lot of readers. For those who needed to add more water, my guess is that the heat was too high causing the water to evaporate much faster. I hope this helps! Have a great weekend! xx
This dish was delicious and easy to make! I did reduce the pasta to 12oz and added an extra 1/2C water. Turned out beautifully, this is something I would serve to guests!
Hey Tabitha,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
I made this for dinner tonight…OMG…SO GOOD! Using the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes was brilliant! I was nervous with the amount of water, but I just kept continuously stirring and, sure enough, the pasta was perfect. I truly love your recipes-Thank you!
Hey Courtney,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
So yum! Convinced the only thing better than the smells of garlic, butter, and shallot sizzling in the pan is the smell of sun-dried tomato oil cooking! I accidentally did just a 12oz box of gluten free penne and it ended up being the perfect ratio for the water amt. so maybe cut your pasta down to 12oz.
I also added a few more pinches of red pepper flakes for a little spice.
I got a little confused at the end, the recipe kind of cuts off so I just continued to stir everything over the heat since the spinach needed to wilt down a bit. Yummy dinner idea, thank you!
Hey Nina,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
This was delicious! I’m not a huge fan of sundried tomatoes, so I added some tomato paste like another reviewer mentioned. I used 3 tbs of E.V.O.O. and added about a tsp of tomato paste when cooking the chicken, instead of the sundried tomato oil. I did have to add a bit more water to cook the pasta, but I still found the taste to be excellent. My kids and husband gobbled it up! Will definitely be adding this to my list!
Hey April,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
This recipe was HEAVENLY. Absolutely loved it & so did the hubby. THANK YOU TEIGHAN!
Hey Emily,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
Gosh, I’m sorry to say this recipe just wasn’t enjoyable for us. I made recipe exactly as written, but it turned out bland, dry and disappointing – my Hubs pulled out the Tony’s, which is never a good sign. Not sure how to revive the leftovers.
Love so many of your other recipes though!
Hi Jette,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
I typically love the recipes by half baked harvest but this one just wasn’t it for me. The water amount and cook time for the noodles was not enough for my short cut pasta. Because of this I had to add additional water which I think then diluted the spices. Overall, it took longer to cook than the recipe stated and just turned out quite bland. If you plan on cooking this, I would suggest cooking the pasta on its own prior to combining the ingredients and to taste test frequently to make sure the seasonings are shining through.
Hi Katie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Could this be made with kale instead of spinach?
Hey Emily,
Totally, kale would be great to use! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This dish is so good, that my husband was licking the plate when he was done – after a second helping!
I made this dish in an extra-large skillet. That’s the key, otherwise the pound of pasta will not cook properly. The pasta also needs to cook longer than 8 minutes. It took 10 minutes to reach al dente. I think next time I’d also use 3-3/4 cups of water (not 3-1/2 like the instructions state). I’ll also add more sun-dried tomatoes…love them and they really make the dish.
I used half-and-half instead of heavy cream and that worked just fine.
A little bit of bacon would be fantastic in this recipe as well.
Hey Melanie,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Definitely agree it needs much more time and water for the noodles to cook! But it was delicious!!
I made a lighter version of this and didn’t use the cream or mustard (per my 11 yr. old son’s “healthier” request 😂). I also added lots more spinach since it wilts down so much 😉 Albeit a variation of the original recipe, it was delish! Will definitely make again.
Tieghan, I love to explore, try and share your recipes!
Hey Dyan,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
This is absolutely the most delicious pasta dish I’ve ever had. My sister made it for my birthday and it was amazing. It’s also toddler approved with my little one. Highly recommend. Very flavorful and love the one pot aspect too!
Making this tonight! Is it possible to substitute spaghetti noodles?
Hey Brittany,
I would recommend using a short cut noodle for this dish! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hey Liz,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! 🎊🎈
Do you know how I could make this with frozen chicken?
Of pressure cooked?
Hi Kaitlyn,
You will want to thaw the chicken:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Thanks! Is there a way to make this in an instant pot?
Sorry, I haven’t tested this recipe in the instant pot! xx