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.
This recipe was so easy and so yummy! It’s such a comfort food dish. A perfect weeknight meal. I used baby kale instead of spinach because I find the texture is better after being cooked. The sweetness and slight acidity of the tomatoes paired really nicely with the cream and cheese. I could see myself doing half and half if I wanted to lighten it up. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks so much Chloe! So glad you’re loving this sun dried tomato pasta! xT
We love this recipe! I wanted to make it for a larger family gathering but we have a few that are gluten free. Is it possible to just make the sauce separately so that the gluten free members can have a separate pasta? Would that require different measurements for the water? Thanks Tieghan- we love your stuff!
We really liked this. Starting with sautéing the chicken with the tomato oil?! Yes! Carries the tomato flavor throughout the dish.
The only change I can see for next time is to collect all of the liquid from the chicken and add stock or water to get to the 3.5 cups.
This was very good, recommend it for anyone.
So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Have a great day! xT
Amazing…and so easy!!!. For once I had everything on hand and didn’t have to run to the store. So creamy and delicious
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I hope you loved it! xT
Loved this recipe ! I subbed 1 cup of coconut cream for the heavy cream and it was delicious. Hubby went back for seconds. Would definitely make again
Such a good idea to use coconut cream for a dairy free option! xT
This is yummy. I really loved the Dijon in there, nice flavor. I also added sauteed mushrooms and some grape tomatoes since I needed to use them up. Those were great additions, especially the tomatoes because I added them at the end and they gave the dish a hint of freshness. Everyone enjoyed! Thank you!
Hi Kathy,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your review:)
So good!!!
Hi there,
Happy Wednesday!!🫐🍒🍓 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
I ended up adding the cream and at least another cup of water to the pasta, there wasn’t enough water to cook a lb of the pasta. I used rigatoni. Cooked it about 12 minutes covered in my large Staub pan with a lid, stirring occasionally. The end result tasted good, I also used chicken tenderloins. I’ll make it again with less pasta. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Cindy,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it:) Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
I don’t think I used the right pasta. I used a Rigatoni from Trader Joe’s. The cook time on the bag said 12 minutes so I went with that and added extra water. What is everyone else using? It turned out fine, but I kind of winged it 🙂
Hi Courtney,
I used rigatoni, I would have just followed the recipe as written and disregarded the package instructions:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Very tasty! Had all of the ingredients on hand (minus the spinach) and it turned out delicious. I made the mistake of putting the chicken back into the pot when I added the water, so that washed a lot of the spices off the chicken … smh … but when it was all said and done, the flavors were still excellent. The spinach would’ve added some color and vitamins, but it was still good without it. Saving this one!
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Good flavors and finished product ended up great but was a little frustrating. I’m not sure if it was the type of pasta I was using or the pot but I followed the recipe very carefully but kept having to add liquid to cook the pasta through, t
3 1/2 cups did not suffice to cook the past through and I kept having to add liquid throughout. I had some chicken broth on hand and added it throughout almost like one would for a risotto. When sharing my experience with my sister (who had recommended the recipe) she shared she had also had a similar experience. Has anyone else experienced this? Or have any thoughts?
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you had some issues. What kind of pasta did you use? Any chance you just had your heat too high? Let me know! xx
Making this tonight … a little worried about the ¼ c. Parmesan cheese that I add to the chicken while still in the pan will stick to the pan rather than the chicken. Any insight? Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
The cheese should stick to the chicken:) Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xT
It was NOT an issue at all, and the finished product was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed:)
Making this tonight. Just confirming that pasta water is not drained before adding the cream!
Hi Jody,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Loved it and the little kids did too, which at their age is a real feat (under 5). Thanks as always for your awesome ideas and recipes! Seriously a go to savior when I can’t think of what I want!
Thanks so much!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Did a trial run tonight for just my husband and I (in preparation for another Sunday family dinner), and he’s sitting over there groaning. The flavor is this dish is amazing. Easy and yummy, adding this to our rotation !!
Hi Kathy,
Happy Friday!! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!😎🍑 xx
I always come to your page when I need something easy and tasty to make! This was so delicious. Will definitely make again. I used half butter cream and half creamer for the heavy cream because that’s what I had on hand and it worked well!
Hey Rachel,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT