Sun Dried Tomato Pasta is a delicious creamy pasta dish that is ready in about 30 minutes. This pasta recipe is fast enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough to entertain with.
I am always on the hunt for more pasta recipes. They speak to my soul. When they are a 30 minute dinner recipe, they are even better.
In this creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta we are using the same method we use in my Tuscan Chicken Pasta and my Cajun Chicken Alfredo. Seasoning chicken and then turning around and making a creamy pasta sauce with the same seasoning is easy and always a home run.
How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
This is a brief overview of how to make this easy pasta recipe. For the full recipe with all the measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cook the pasta. See our tips on this below.
- Season and cook the chicken. Please see our tips below on cutting the chicken into cutlets. Once you have cut the chicken, season it with liberally with Italian Seasoning. Sauté it in a preheated pan for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and tent loosely with foil.
- Cook the bacon. Add diced bacon to the skillet and cook until it just begins to crisp. Then you will add in red onion and finally some red pepper flakes and garlic.
- Make the sauce. To the bacon fat you will whisk in some flour to make a roux. Then slowly whisk in some chicken stock. Finally whisk in some half and half. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for about five minutes or until it has thickened. Then we will add in some Italian Seasoning and some Asiago cheese.
- Taste the sauce. At the end of making the sauce be sure to taste it. You will likely need to add some salt and pepper. I encourage you to add it to your personal preference.
- Bring it all together. Stir the noodles and sun-dried tomatoes into the sauce. Slice the chicken into strips and return it to the pan. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Cutting Chicken into Cutlets
One of the things that makes this such a quick dinner is using chicken cutlets. Because chicken breasts comes so big these days I typically will use two breasts and cut them in half to make cutlets.
Start by placing your hand on top of the chicken breast. Use a very sharp knife to cut through the center of it.
Butterfly the chicken breast open.
You will end up with four chicken cutlets. If there are any pieces that are more than 1/2 inch thick you will want to pound them thin.
Pasta Cooking Tips
Since this is a pasta dish, we want to make sure that the pasta is cooked to perfection. Here are a few tips:
- Use enough water for the pound of pasta called for in this recipe. You will need at least four quarts.
- Bring the water to a roaring boil before you add the dry pasta. You want to see really big bubbles.
- Salt the water before adding the pasta. I like to use about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt when I cook a pound of pasta.
- Set a timer after adding the noodles for the time called for on the box.
- Stir the dry noodles after adding them to the water and a few times while they boil.
Buying Bow Tie Noodles
Here is a fun little fact that I found out while developing this recipe. Bow tie pasta is sold as 12 ounce packages when it is sold under and off brand label. For this recipe you will want to look for an on brand box so that you get the full 16 ounces called for in this recipe.
Italian Seasoning
This recipe gets a bulk of it’s flavor from Italian Seasoning. This is a seasoning mix sold in the United States with other spice mixes and near the dry spices. If you can’t find it or would like to make your own, we have a great Italian Seasoning recipe that uses spices you probably already have in your pantry.
Italian Seasoning
Making a Roux
A roux is a thickening agent that makes creamy sauces rich and wonderful. It is what we use in my Homemade Mac and Cheese to achieve that amazing rich cheese sauce. A roux is simply a fat combined with flour.
In this recipe we are using the fat rendered from the bacon. When you whisk in the flour make sure that it is absorbed completely before you move on to adding the chicken stock. This will eliminate any chance of a flour taste.
When I first start adding liquid to my roux to make the cream sauce, I like to go slowly. I eyeball about two tablespoons at a time of liquid before I add more. Then the more I add the more quickly I add it. This whole process should take less than a minute but you should just avoid pouring in all the chicken stock at once.
FAQ
Half and half is a dairy product sold in the United States that is half heavy cream and half whole milk. In the U.K. it is known as “Half Cream.” If you are elsewhere overseas you can replace the half and half with 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream.
You can! You will just need to substitute it with 1/4 cup of butter in step four. Melt the butter and then sauté the onions in it and finally add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
Leftovers should be reheated over low heat in a skillet with a little added milk or cream. Add just enough to loosen the pasta, stirring it in so it combines well with the rest of the dish.
What to Serve with Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
If you are looking to round out this dinner with some vegetable sides, here are a few recommendations:
If you make this Sun Dried Tomato Pasta recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half to make cutlets (see our photos in the post)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pound bacon diced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup Asiago Cheese
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes removed from their oil and diced
- Parmesan cheese for serving
- fresh parsley chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add in the bow tie pasta and 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Cook according to the length of time on the package.1 pound bow tie pasta
- Make sure that the chicken is no more than 1/2 an inch thick. If it is thicker at any spots, use a clean rolling pin or a mallet to pound it thinner.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Rub the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning. Add it to the preheated skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken reads 165 degrees with an instant read thermometer. Remove from the skillet and loosely tent with foil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add the bacon, to the skillet. Cook until it has just begun to crisp. Add in the red onion and cook until it is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until it is just fragrant, about 30 seconds.1/2 pound bacon, 1/2 small red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Stir in the flour, combining so that the bacon and onion are well coated.1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Very slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Add about two tablespoons at a time (no need to measure) whisking it in and waiting to add more until it is absorbed. As you go, you can add it more quickly. Whisk in the half and half and bring it to a simmer. Cook for five minutes, stirring regularly.1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup half and half
- Whisk in the Asiago cheese and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.1/2 cup Asiago Cheese
- Chop the chicken and stir that into the sauce along with the sun-dried tomatoes and pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Kay McCaughna-Andrews says
Not a fan of Asiago what do you suggest?
Parmesan is a fantastic substitute!