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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.
Love this recipe! Question, can I use sour cream instead of heavy cream? 🤍
Thanks so much, Dita! Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hard to load the page with all the ads even on PC.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, William. So sorry for any frustrations! xx
I doubted the process of this recipe specifically cooking the pasta in so little water, but I always follow a new recipe as stated. I did have to add an extra 1/2 cup of water as the pasta was cooking which was probably due to my temperature being a little higher. The recipe worked though, and to my surprise, the result was an amazing blend of flavors. Definitely going in my keeper file!
Hey Amy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Xx
This recipe is even better than it looks. My teenage and adult boys gave it a 10/10 so it’s now a regular on our family menu!!
Hey Lara,
Happy Thursday! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Xx
Huge hit in our home! This recipe was amazing. My husband said it felt like he was having a meal an Italian restaurant. Soooo good!!
Hey Leane,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment! Xx
One of my absolute favorites!
Hey Mallory,
Fantastic!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great weekend! xx
Love this recipe- has anyone made it a few hours ahead of time? I have a dinner party to host, so don’t want to be cooking during the party!
Hey Lisa,
Amazing!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! I think this would be fine to make in advance and warm on low for serving. Have a great weekend! xT
I’ve made this several times and it’s always a hit! I usually use an Italian dressing seasoning packet to speed things up. I also use closer to 4+ cups of water with the pasta and never have a problem with thin sauce as some have mentioned – perhaps let it cook a little longer if the sauce is thin. I typically use a skillet and need a little extra water to cost the pasta. A family favorite!
Hey Angela,
Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and sharing what works well for you! Love to hear it is always enjoyed! xT
Could coconut milk be used as a substitute for the heavy cream? Thanks!!
Hi Alyssa,
Sure, that would work well for you! Please let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
Best dish I’ve made in a while!!! Sooo good and easy. Definitely a new staple!
Hey Emily,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you trying this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Hi, can this be frozen?
Hi Leanne,
Sure, I might turn this into a pasta bake and transfer to an oven safe baking dish, cover with cheese and freeze, then bake when you are ready to serve. I hope this helps! xT
This is absolutely delicious. My dish was not as creamy and more juicy, but it was so flavorful. I have some really greedy men in my house so this was right on time!
Hi Terry,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
I did the recipe exactly as it states except I had to cook my chicken for close to 15 mins (not 5 mins) before it was done. I absolutely loved this one! It will be under my favorites list now on. Thank you for sharing!
Hey Julia,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well! Happy Saturday! Xx
I haven’t tried this yet, but I agree with Christie. Pasta can’t possibly absorb 3 1/2 cups of water, even with a lid off. I’ll cook pasta separately, then add to sauce. I don’t want to ruin the whole dish by following those directions. I’ll save some pasta water in case I need it.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Janet. I hope you love the recipe:)
Hello Janet! I’ve made this recipe on multiple occasions and it’s totally awesome!!! I think that boiling the noodles in the mixture give the noodles a great flavor and i’ve never had an issue with the creaminess of the pasta I just use what it calls for and i’ve even doubled/tripled the recipe for different occasions 🙂
This recipe has incredible flavor but the sauce was too wet and lacked the creaminess I was hoping for. This was even after draining some of the residual pasta water. I would prepare the sauce separately next time to be able to whisk and thicken it.
Hi Christie,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear the sauce was not what you were expecting. Did you use more water than what was called for? Again, my apologies! xx
Can you use premixed Italian seasoning? Like a store bought version that’s already mixed?
Hi Caitlin,
Sure, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT