Hands down, Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is one of my favorite recipes to make. I adore sun-dried tomatoes, and they complement the chicken and pasta in this dish perfectly. Not only is it easy to make, but it also doesn't take hours to make, even though it tastes like it does.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Dish
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 6
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Creamy, garlicky, and tangy with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Garlic bread, roasted veggies, or a light green salad.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat with a splash of milk or broth.
Summarize and Save This Content On
After making this creamy tomato chicken pasta for the first time, I was making it at least once a week! It's so yummy and filling, even one serving is plenty. If you are looking for creative spins on traditional pasta dishes, I recommend you add this recipe to your list.
My other favorite chicken and sun dried tomato pasta dishes are marry me chicken pasta and slow cooker tuscan chicken.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's ready in 35 minutes: This creamy sun dried tomato pasta recipe takes just 35 minutes to make, making it ideal for a busy weeknight or any time you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
- It's a one-pan meal: The chicken, sauce, and pasta are all cooked in the same pan. This means fewer dishes to clean later!
- It's budget-friendly: This recipe is cheap, too. You don't have to break the bank to make delicious, filling food.
Ingredients
The crucial ingredients for making a successful creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta are listed below. The best part is that you don't have to search for these items because they are common ingredients.
- Bacon: I like to cook the bacon strips fresh because I reserve the bacon grease. The chicken breasts are cooked in the grease to add more flavor. If you want to skip this, use leftover bacon instead.
- Chicken breasts: You may either slice your boneless or pound them to make them thinner. This helps them to cook evenly. I don't recommend bone-in chicken, because the bones make it harder to serve and eat.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I drain my tomatoes, but you can keep a little of the oil if you like. This includes if you choose an Italian herb variety. For julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes, so you can skip cutting whole ones.
- Linguine pasta: You may use any variety of pasta that you like here, but I enjoy the texture of linguine best in this sauce. Penne or even angel hair both work, for example.
- Ricotta and Parmesan: I like a combination of ricotta and Parmesan cheese. The ricotta adds a lovely creaminess, while the parm is nice and sharp for a lovely bite.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Fresh tomato: Don't like sun-dried tomatoes? Use freshly diced tomatoes instead, but add them towards the end so they don't become mushy.
- Try shrimp: Swap the chicken breast for some shrimp to make a fun seafood version.
- Add veggies: Incorporate some yummy vegetables like sliced mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach.
How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pasta With Chicken
Here are all the steps needed to make this creamy sundried tomato pasta with chicken. It's actually pretty easy, especially since you only need to chop onions and garlic as prior prep!
Step 1: Cook the bacon. Grab a skillet and cook the bacon slices until they're crispy. Set them aside, but reserve some of the grease.
Step 2: Sear the chicken breast. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet on both sides until they brown, then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the chicken for another 8-10 minutes or until fully cooked.
Step 3: Sauté the onions. Set the chicken aside to rest, and melt the butter in the pan. Increase the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook them until they are softened.
Step 4: Add tomatoes and garlic. Next, add the sundried tomatoes and garlic, and cook them for about a minute or until they're fragrant.
Step 5: Pour in broth. Now you can pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 6: Cook the pasta. Submerge the pasta in the broth and cook it until it's al dente, or for 8-12 minutes.
Step 7: Stir in the cheeses and bacon. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the ricotta, parmesan, and chopped bacon.
Step 8: Add chopped chicken and serve. Once the cheeses are fully melted, add your chopped chicken and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Slice the chicken evenly: If you choose to slice the chicken, make sure the breasts are sliced evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Use a thermometer: I highly recommend using a meat thermometer, especially if you're unsure of the cook on the chicken. It must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F for safety.
- Check the pasta for doneness: Since you are cooking the linguine in the broth, it's important to keep an eye on it and check it for doneness. It may take more time to cook, and you don't want it to still be crunchy.
If you love chicken and pasta check out our Instant Pot chicken Parmesan pasta or this crockpot garlic parmesan chicken pasta
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may freeze the chicken and pasta for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: You may reheat a portion in the microwave, just expect some separation with the sauce; this is natural. Add a splash of cream or milk to liven it up again. I like to reheat it in a saucepan over low heat so I have control over the temperature.
Serving Suggestions
- Prepare this delicious chicken sundried tomato pasta dish with a hearty green vegetable, such as sautéed greens and bacon, or grilled asparagus.
- A simple tossed salad or strawberry spinach salad also makes fantastic pairings.
- Enjoy an adult beverage, such as a cranberry shrub cocktail, with your meal to make it feel even more special.
- Serve these quick and easy pecan pie brownies for dessert to really wow your dinner guests.
Recipe FAQs
If you add the cheeses too early or if the heat is too high, they can curdle. Watch the heat on the stove and avoid stirring in the ricotta and Parmesan until last.
Excess oil from the sun-dried tomatoes can make the sauce greasy. This is why I recommend draining them. You can use some of the oil when cooking the chicken if you are not using bacon grease.
Yes! Reduce the broth to 1-2 cups and boil the pasta according to the package directions, if you prefer.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
Do you like chicken recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 2-3 chicken breasts 2 large or 3 regular, pounded on the thicker sides
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 jar 8.5 oz sundried tomatoes, drained of the oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste or finely minced garlic
- 5½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 box 16 oz linguini pasta or regular spaghetti pasta
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until it becomes slightly crispy then remove it but save the grease. Once cooled, chop into pieces.
- Add the chicken to the pan and sprinkle half of the salt and half of the pepper over the chicken on both sides.
- Cook on medium until both sides crisp up then reduce the heat to low for 8-10 minutes on each side, or until the center reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest before slicing.
- Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Then add the onion and remaining salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the onion becomes translucent.
- Then add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, another minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil over medium high heat.
- Then add the pasta and cook until it is al dente.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese whipping cream and chopped bacon.
- Stir until all of the cheeses have melted.
- Stir in your sliced chicken.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan if desired. Enjoy every bite.
Notes
- Feel free to reduce the amount of broth used and cook the pasta separately. Then, you can stir it in at the end with the cooked chicken.
- Ensure that you drain the oil from the sundried tomatoes to prevent the sauce from becoming greasy.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F, so it will be safe to eat.
Tricia says
Excellent and very flavorful. I also added a can of sliced mushrooms with the sun dried tomatoes. This recipe will definitely be in my rotation. Thanks!
Karin and Ken says
You’re most welcome! We love it too. All the best. Karin