This Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta is a simple weeknight dinner that's fancy enough to serve to guests! It comes together in 30 minutes, too.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Penne pasta – swap out for any kind of pasta of your choice like fusilli, rigatoni or ziti.
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used but will increase the calorie count.
- Butter – or your favourite butter substitute like margarine or olive oil.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Sundried tomatoes – dried canned tomatoes would also work here or you could try making this recipe with roasted red peppers for a different flavour.
- Reserved pasta water – you can leave this out, but it helps thicken the pasta sauce.
- Table cream – half and half would also work.
- Parmesan cheese – nutritional yeast is a good dairy-free substitute.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Baby spinach – leave this out or add in some arugula instead.
- Fresh basil – fresh parsley would also be a good garnish.
How to make pasta with sundried tomatoes
Step 1: Cook pasta.
Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add pasta then cook for about 9 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of water in a glass measuring cup, then drain pasta.
Step 2: Brown the chicken.
Meanwhile in a large pan, heat a bit of the oil from the jarred sundried tomatoes over med-high heat, then add chicken, seasoning with salt & pepper and sauteeing for 3-4 minutes until browned.
Step 3: Sauté the garlic and sundried tomatoes.
Add butter, garlic and sundried tomatoes, sauteeing another minute until fragrant.
Step 4: Make the cream sauce.
Add in reserved pasta water, milk, heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stirring until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until thickened slightly, about a minute.
Step 5: Toss in pasta and spinach.
Add in cooked pasta and spinach, tossing to combine and cooking until spinach wilts.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Serve immediately with fresh basil sprinkled overtop and enjoy!
Dried tomatoes vs. sun-dried tomatoes
Wondering what the difference is between dried tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes? Dried tomatoes are typically dehydrated or dried in the oven or using a similar method, whereas sun-dried tomatoes are dried in the sun (hence the name!). It normally takes them about a week to dry out in the sun.
This recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can try using canned dried tomatoes for a similar flavour.
Frequently Asked Questions
I love making pasta with sundried tomatoes! It tastes so good in a creamy sauce. Make sure you sauté the chicken in some of the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes to really enhance the flavour.
This sundried tomato chicken pasta has 549 calories per serving. It’s an indulgent but delicious dish!
This sundried tomato pasta is so much better than regular tomato pasta – and it's made even better with the creamy sauce. All you need is table cream, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, with some reserved pasta water to make the sauce even thicker.
Storing and reheating
Store any leftovers of this sundried tomato pasta in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with some fresh basil and parmesan and voila! The pasta will be as good as new.
Freezing this recipe
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this pasta with sundried tomatoes. Like most cream-based sauces, the pasta won’t defrost well as the cream will curdle.
More delicious pasta recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up your weekly lunches.
- Meal prep with your freezer! Butcher Box conveniently delivers a variety of meats to your door frozen, including chicken.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta {Quick & Easy}
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb penne pasta
- 1 lb chicken breasts diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes julienned, plus extra oil from jar
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup table cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 cups baby spinach chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add pasta then cook for about 9 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of water in a glass measuring cup, then drain pasta.
- Meanwhile in a large pan, heat a bit of the oil from the jarred sundried tomatoes over med-high heat, then add chicken, seasoning with salt & pepper and sauteeing for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Add butter, garlic and sundried tomatoes, sauteeing another minute until fragrant. Add in reserved pasta water, cream and parmesan cheese, stirring until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until thickened slightly, about a minute.
- Add in cooked pasta and spinach, tossing to combine and cooking until spinach wilts. Serve immediately with fresh basil sprinkled overtop and enjoy!
Share With Me!
Did you make this recipe or want to share your thoughts? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram #thegirlonbloor so I can check it out!