Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
By Better Plate RecipesSun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta combines tender chicken, penne or rigatoni, baby spinach, Parmesan, and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy skillet sauce. The tomatoes add deep savory flavor while the spinach keeps the dish fresh and balanced.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You will love Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta because it gives you comfort and balance in the same bowl. Sun dried tomatoes bring concentrated flavor, so the sauce tastes slow-cooked even though it comes together quickly. The flavors are familiar enough for a weeknight, but the little details make it feel more special than plain pasta. The pasta is creamy, the tomatoes are chewy and savory, and the spinach wilts into soft green ribbons. It is also practical: the chicken cooks first, then the same pan builds the sauce. The instructions walk you through the heat level, timing, and visual cues, so you are not guessing when the protein is cooked or when the sauce is ready. It is the kind of recipe that helps a beginner feel confident while still giving an experienced cook something satisfying to make.
What Makes This Recipe Work
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta works because the bowl has balance instead of just pasta and sauce. The hearty base (Chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach) gives the meal real staying power. The texture piece (baby spinach and sun dried tomatoes) keeps each bite from feeling one-note, whether it adds freshness, color, tenderness, or a little bite. The sauce layer (Chicken broth, half-and-half, parmesan, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes) ties everything together and gives the pasta something flavorful to hold onto. The finish (parmesan) adds the bright, salty, creamy, or herby note that makes the dish taste complete. The trick is not rushing the skillet work. Cooking the main ingredients carefully, warming the aromatics, and loosening the sauce with pasta water all build flavor in small layers. Once you understand those little steps, the recipe feels easy instead of fussy, and the final bowl tastes more intentional than the short cook time suggests.
Ingredient Notes & Easy Swaps
Penne or rigatoni: Short tubes trap the creamy sauce and pieces of tomato inside. Rotini or farfalle work too. For gluten free, use a certified gluten-free penne, cook it 1 minute short of the package time since it keeps softening in the sauce, and add pasta water sparingly because gluten-free shapes shed extra starch that thickens the sauce fast.
Chicken breast: Even 1-inch cubes finish at the same time; pat them dry so they brown rather than steam. Thighs give a juicier result and need about 2 minutes longer to reach 165°F.
Oil-packed sun dried tomatoes: These are softer and far more flavorful than dry-packed. Look for jars where the tomatoes are fully submerged and pliable. Drain them well and blot before chopping. If you only have dry-packed, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and chop.
Garlic: Four cloves build the savory base under the cream. Stir just until fragrant, since browned garlic turns the whole sauce bitter.
Low-sodium chicken broth: Low sodium is important because the Parmesan, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the pasta water all bring salt. Vegetable broth works if that is what is on hand.
Half-and-half: It makes the sauce creamy with less fat than heavy cream, but that lower fat is also why it curdles at a hard boil. Whole milk can be used for a lighter sauce that will be noticeably thinner.
Parmesan: Grate it from a wedge; the anti-caking starch on pre-shredded cheese keeps it from melting smoothly. It also thickens the sauce as it dissolves.
Baby spinach: Three cups wilts down to a few spoonfuls. Choose crisp, dry leaves with no slimy patches, and add it at the very end so it stays green.
Dairy-free option: Both the half-and-half and the Parmesan have to change. Replace the 3/4 cup half-and-half with 3/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or an unsweetened cashew cream, which are the two that hold up to simmering without splitting; oat milk works but is much thinner, so reduce it 2 extra minutes. Replace the Parmesan with 1/2 cup dairy-free Parmesan-style shreds or 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, added off the heat since neither melts. The sauce will be looser and slightly sweeter with coconut milk, so an extra pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes help keep it savory.
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Description
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta combines tender chicken, penne or rigatoni, baby spinach, Parmesan, and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy skillet sauce. The tomatoes add deep savory flavor while the spinach keeps the dish fresh and balanced.
Ingredients
- 10 oz penne or rigatoni
- 4 quarts water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, for pasta water
- 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1Equipment: a 6-quart pot, colander, heatproof measuring cup, 12-inch skillet, tongs, paper towels, an instant-read thermometer, a separate cutting board and knife reserved for the raw chicken, a clean plate for the cooked chicken, and 4 bowls.
- 2Pour 4 quarts water into the pot and bring it to a strong rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt, then add 10 oz penne or rigatoni and stir once so it does not clump.
- 3Cook the pasta for the time on the package until tender with a small firm bite. Scoop out 1 cup cloudy pasta water before draining, then drain in a colander and do not rinse.
- 4On the board reserved for raw chicken, cut 1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast into 1-inch cubes and pat them very dry. Season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tossing to coat. Wash your hands, the board, and the knife with hot soapy water before touching anything else.
- 5Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, about 7 out of 10, until it is hot and moves easily around the pan. Add the chicken in one layer with space between the cubes, in two batches if needed. Let it sit undisturbed 2 minutes, then cook 4 to 5 minutes more, turning every minute or two, until an instant-read thermometer in the largest cube reads 165°F. Color is not proof of doneness. Move the chicken to a clean plate.
- 6Lower the heat to medium. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes that you have drained well and chopped. Stir 1 minute, until you can smell the garlic and the tomatoes look glossy. Draining them matters; carrying over their packing oil makes the finished sauce slick and greasy.
- 7Pour in 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Add 3/4 cup half-and-half, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Keep the pan at a gentle simmer with small bubbles at the edge for 3 to 4 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Never let it reach a hard boil; half-and-half is low enough in fat that vigorous heat will curdle it into grainy specks.
- 8Turn the heat to low and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until the cheese disappears into a smooth sauce. Low heat keeps the Parmesan from clumping into stringy knots.
- 9Add 3 cups baby spinach last and stir about 1 minute, just until the leaves collapse and turn deep green while still looking fresh.
- 10Add the drained pasta and the cooked chicken and toss 1 minute, loosening with reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce looks silky and coats every piece. Serve in 4 bowls.
Tips and Tricks
- 1
Drain the Sun-Dried Tomatoes Well: Lift them out of the jar and blot them on paper towels before chopping. A little clinging oil is flavor, but the couple of tablespoons that come along with a packed half cup will separate out and leave a greasy slick floating on the cream sauce.
- 2
Never Let the Half-and-Half Boil: Keep the pan at small bubbles around the edge only. Half-and-half has far less fat than heavy cream, so a hard boil breaks it into grainy curds and there is no way to whisk it back into a smooth sauce.
- 3
Stir the Parmesan In Over Low Heat: Drop the burner to low before the cheese goes in and stir until it disappears. Parmesan added to a simmering pan seizes into stringy clumps that cling to the spoon instead of thickening the sauce.
- 4
Add the Spinach Last: Three cups of baby spinach need about a minute in the finished sauce. Adding it earlier, before the cream reduces, releases its water into the pan and thins the sauce while the leaves turn drab olive.
Nutrition
Serving size: 1 serving (1/4 recipe)
Calories: 605kcal, Protein: 49g, Carbs: 64g, Fat: 20g, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 6g, Sodium: 1100mg.
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredient brands, product sizes, preparation methods, and substitutions. It is not intended as medical or dietary advice.