Description
Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring tender chicken strips sautéed in a savory sun-dried tomato and chicken broth sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner and delivers vibrant Italian-inspired flavors in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size strips
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Sauce & Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained if packed in oil
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, sliced thin
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. This typically takes about 8-10 minutes.
- Prepare the chicken: While the pasta cooks, cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized strips and season them generously with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the skillet: Add olive oil and butter to a skillet and heat it over medium-high heat for a few minutes until hot and sizzling.
- Sear the chicken: Place the chicken strips in the skillet in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes to achieve a nice sear. Then stir or flip the chicken and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cooked through.
- Add sauce ingredients: Stir in Italian seasoning, chicken broth, and sun-dried tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer and bubble for about 3 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half, intensifying the flavors.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Before draining the pasta, scoop out 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water and add it to the skillet. Then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet along with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Toss everything together until the cheese melts and coats the pasta evenly.
- Serve: Serve the pasta immediately, seasoning with extra salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Notes
- Use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil for extra richness, but drain excess oil before use.
- Reserve pasta water before draining to help loosen the sauce and help it cling to pasta better.
- Fresh basil can be substituted with dried basil; reduce quantity accordingly.
- For a creamier sauce, add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half when adding the chicken broth.
- Cook pasta al dente to prevent sogginess when tossed with sauce.
