Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
This pan of Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is both hearty and cozy at its core. Bursting with bold flavors, this rustic dish is anything but boring. And because it's in and out of the skillet in under 30 minutes, it's a perfect weeknight meal that will add pizzaz to any table.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Chicken & Pasta
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
Scale
Rub for the Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breasts, cubed
- 2-3 tablespoons Oil from an Oil Packed Sun-Dried Tomato Jar, divided
- 1 large Sweet Onion, sliced thin
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced or sliced thin
- 8-ounce jar of Julienne Sun-Dried Tomatoes, drained
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 1 cup Half and Half
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/4-1/2 cup Pasta Water
- 8-10 ounces Rigatoni, cooked to al dente
- 1/4 cup Basil, chopped
- 2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach
Instructions
Cooking the Rigatoni
- In a large saucepan, add 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt.
- Bring the water to a complete boil, add 8-10 ounces of Rigatoni, and stir immediately to keep the pasta from sticking.
- For an al dente texture, cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water. Drain the rest and set it aside.
Rub for the Chicken
- In a small bowl combine, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning.
- Sprinkle the rub on the 1 1/2 pounds of cubed chicken coating each piece.
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.
- Add the spiced coated chicken to the hot oil and let cook for 2 minutes before turning them.
- Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink on the inside, internal temperature at 160°F. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm and set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1-2 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.
- Add 1 large thinly sliced onion to the skillet and sauté for 4-5 minutes until tender.
- Add 6 thinly sliced or minced garlic cloves, and 8-ounce jar of drained julienned sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for one minute.
- Add 1 cup of dry white wine and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to remove any bits and pieces.
- Add 1 cup of half and half, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder. Stir until all is combined.
- Add 1/4-1/2 cup of pasta water until the right consistency of creaminess.
- Add 8 ounces cooked rigatoni and gently stir until everything is coated with the sauce.
- Fold in 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil and 2 cups of fresh baby spinach.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- You can choose any type of pasta that you like. I like rigatoni because they are large, tube-shaped with ridges to soak up all that scrumptious sauce.
- For convenience sake, choose the julienned cut sun-dried tomatoes.
- Look for the sun-dried tomato jars that contain extra virgin olive oil.
- If you use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes they will need to be rehydrated first. In a heat-proof bowl, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt in one cup of warm water. Placed the tomatoes in the water and cover them with a plate. Heat the tomatoes in the microwave for two minutes then let them sit until the skins can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain well and blot with paper towels.
- If you are using rehydrated tomatoes, you need olive oil when cooking the chicken, onions and garlic.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the dish
- Calories: 444
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 599 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 89 mg
Keywords: sun-dried tomato chicken pasta, sun-dried tomato chicken pasta spinach, sun-dried tomato pasta creamy, creamy sun-dried tomato chicken pasta
Find it online: https://lingeralittle.com/sun-dried-tomato-chicken-pasta/