This sun-dried tomato chicken pasta is going to wow you! Unlike typical chicken pasta recipes, there’s no fuss around cooking, removing, and returning the chicken to the sauce later. I leave it cooking in a creamy sauce that takes on the slow-releasing flavor from sundried tomatoes.
I have a weakness for creamy pasta dishes. In just the past two weeks, I’ve made chicken mushroom truffle pasta, my chili lime pasta, and now this. Ooo mama! I've got no intention of stepping on a scale anytime soon.
The flavors in this pasta are so vibrant. I used to follow an online recipe that called for briefly sautéing the sun-dried tomatoes, removing them, and adding them back at the end. But with that method, the tomato flavors didn't fully show up.
So what I do in my recipe is that I let some sun-dried tomatoes cook with the chicken and the sauce, and I reserve some for the final step. That way, you get both the flavor and the texture.
This is a great comfort dish you'll love, so do try.
Pre-cooking notes and tips
- Red pepper flakes can vary a lot in the heat they pack, so adjust the quantity to match your spice preference.
- Feel free to swap in chicken thighs for breasts.
- My recipe calls for some water, like you’ll see in the method below. You could swap in milk, but I don’t. There’s already enough dairy in there. Also, I tried once and felt that the milk mellowed the taste.
- You can use the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes for cooking this pasta. Just leave enough so they’re still covered.
- You can use a chicken bouillon cube or granules instead of a concentrate/base. I usually go with Better Than Bouillon (and no, this isn’t a sponsored mention).
- In some countries, stores carry a product called 'cooking cream,' which can be subbed in for whipping cream. As long as it’s unsweetened. You might need to tweak the amount a bit, though. It often has additives that make it heat-stable, but can also change the consistency of your sauce.
- I use the cream cheese that’s meant for baking. The unflavored kind that comes in bars. Not the spread you find in tubs or jars.
- A controversial thing I do is that I never use pasta water in my sauces. Sounds like I don't know my game, right? Thing is, I salt my pasta water generously, and I add a well-balanced, calculated amount of salt to my sauce. Adding pasta water would throw off the balance, and I don't want to risk that.
And that's a wrap!
This sun-dried tomato chicken pasta ticks all the boxes of the definition of comfort food. Creamy, indulgent, savory, carby, utterly satisfying!
I hope you'll give this one a try, and if you do, leave a review and a comment below.
Happy cooking - Nelo
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (230 g) pasta - uncooked, I prefer penne
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teapsoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust quantity to spice preference
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.25 teaspoons salt - regular table salt
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil - any neutral kind you prefer
- 4 cloves garlic - chopped, not minced
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken breasts - skinless, boneless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup sundried tomatoes - drained, chopped, measured after chopping (Note A)
- 4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese - cut into pieces for quick melting
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy/whipping cream - unsweetend
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon paste - powder, granules and cubes also work
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Follow the package instructions to cook pasta until it's al dente (has a little bite). Drain and set aside.
- Make the seasoning mix by combining ground black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano and salt in a bowl. Set it aside.
- Heat cooking oil in a large skillet/pan (preferably non-stick) over medium-high heat. Add chopped garlic and saute for 1 minute. It should start to get very light golden. Don't let it burn.
- Next add chicken pieces and saute until the chicken changes color and is no longer pink. Cook for 1 more minute after that.
- Add ½ cup chopped sundried tomatoes (reserve the rest for later) and saute for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low, wait for a minute so the temperature of the food comes down a bit. Then add cream cheese, heavy cream, chicken bouillon, and the seasoning mix you prepared earlier.
- Also add ½ cup of water. Mix until the cream cheese melts. Cover the pan/skillet and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer until the chicken is fully cooked through. The sauce may split if the simmering is vigorous. If your sauce gets too thick by the time the chicken is cooked, mix in some more water.
- Add cooked pasta, chopped basil and the remaining ¼ cup of chopped sundried tomatoes.
- Gently mix everything together. Let the pasta warm up for a minute or two, and serve immediately. I like to top it off with some extra basil and chili flakes (or freshly cracked black pepper). If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
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