Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

5 from 11 votes

This quick and easy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta has amazing flavor, comes together quickly, and has a sauce that just melts in your mouth!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: chicken pasta recipe, one pot pasta recipe, sun dried tomato recipes

Servings: servings

Calories: 653kcal

Author: The Chunky Chef

8 oz dried pasta (I usually use a shorter cut, like penne, rigatoni, farfalle, etc)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
6-7 oz jar sun dried tomatoes in oil roughly chopped, reserving the oil in the jar
5 cloves garlic minced
1 1/3 cup half and half or heavy cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated tastes the best
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water!
Drain, toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.
Season chicken pieces with salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, paprika and red pepper flakes.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar and 1 Tbsp butter over MED HIGH heat and add the chicken pieces, sautéing 3-4 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate.
Add garlic and sun dried tomatoes to skillet and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring often. Stir in half and half and let sauce come to a simmer. Add mozzarella and Parmesan, stirring until melted.
Add pasta and cooked chicken (plus any juices that have accumulated on the plate), stirring to combine well. Stir in reserved pasta water, a little bit at a time, if needed, to thin out the sauce.
Stir in basil and serve, garnished with more minced basil if desired.