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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.
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.
If I half the recipe (0.5 lb pasta) do I still need 3.5 cups of water?
Hi Holly,
Nope, you will want to cut the entire recipe in half:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I made this tonight. It’s easy to make though I made two changes. I don’t like mustard so I had to leave it out. I forgot to buy heavy cream, the Italian in me said to use Ricotta cheese. Yes that changed the recipe, gotta make do with what you have. Delicious delicious! It’s definitely a make again!
Hi Colette,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Great recipe. I love the flavor combination of Dijon, Smoked Paprika, and Sundried Tomatoes. I used what I had on hand and replaced the Chicken and Spinach with Prawns, bacon, and Asparagus, altering the cooking of each a bit. We loved it!
Hi Kym,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! We subbed chicken sausage for chicken since that’s what we had and it helped cut down the overall cooking time
Hi Casey,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
This is so delicious. Giving some to my neighbor who is spending the weekend working on her PhD (and saving a batch for myself!). Comforting , warm meal perfect for a gloomy NYC day. Thank you! xoxo
Hey Jacki,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
This is one of my go-to recipes! I actually crave it. My husband and I really enjoy it and I’ve also cooked it for guests 🙂 It’s a hit! Those salmon bowls of yours have been a hit too. Thanks!
Hey Emma,
Happy Friday!!🍀 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
I would love to see less fattening dishes on your website. Most have a lot of cheese, heavy cream, etc.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Lindy:)
My family loved it! I had to add a couple more cups of water because my rigatoni took forever to get al dente. I loved how creamy this method made the sauce with only 1 cup half & half which I used instead of heavy because that is what I had!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Wednesday!❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
Amazing! My 2 year old twins loved it too!
Hey Rebecca,
Happy Monday!!💐 Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
So good and easy! This has become a family favorite
Hey Kim,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Will this work with lentil pasta?
Hi Holly,
Yes, that should work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
There is nothing in the recipe about draining water after pasta has cooked.
Also, 3 1/2 cups of water is enough for a pound of pasta to cook?
Thank you
Hey Pam,
No need to drain the pasta water:) Yes, 3 1/2 cups of water should be enough. You can follow this recipe as written. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Made this last night (the only substitute I had was using yellow mustard instead of Dijon… we ran out) and it was DELISH! Perfect for a chilly night in CA. Used orecchiette pasta, which was great to carry all that sauce.
Thank you, Tieghan!!
Hey Cindy,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
Ok to use coconut milk instead of cream?
Hi Nina,
Yes, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Can you use regular milk instead of heavy cream?
Hey Lisa,
Sure, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Made it tonight it was delicious 💕
Hey Lisa,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Is it 3 half cups of water or 3cups plus a half cup of water?
Hi Christina,
It’s 3 cups plus 1/2 cup of water. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Looks fabulous 👏👏👏 how many mls in a cup. I have some cups here in the UK that measure 250 ml is that the same size cup for this recipe i.e., 3.5 cups would be 875ml water? We don’t use cups here in UK and it appears there are different sizes cups around the world… thanks
Hey Nina,
1 cup of water would be equal to 236ml. I hope this helps! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xx
Can you make this ahead of time and reheat?
Hi Emily,
Sure, you’ll just want to have your stove top on low to reheat. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT