Pesto and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

5 from 12 votes

This Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta combines tender seasoned chicken, penne, and spinach in a rich Parmesan cream sauce made with sun-dried tomato pesto. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's an easy, protein-packed pasta dinner with bold, savory flavor in every bite.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: chicken sun dried tomato pesto pasta, creamy sun dried tomato pesto pasta, easy pasta recipe, pesto pasta, pesto tomato pasta, quick dinner recipe, sun dried tomato pasta

Servings:

Calories: 841kcal

Author: Nicole Kendrick

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken

2 Springer Mountain Farms chicken breasts diced small
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt

Pesto Pasta

1 box gluten-free penne pasta any pasta shape is fine
6.7 oz jar of sun dried tomato pesto I used felippo berio
¼ purple onion diced small
1 cup fresh spinach
1 ¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup parmesan cheese
Optional ½ cup pasta water

Instructions

Cook the pasta in generously salted water for al dente according to the package instructions.
Once the pasta is done cooking, remove the pasta and reserve about half a cup of pasta water just in case your sauce is too thick at the end. This isn’t always used, but it is great to have on hand.
Dice the chicken into half an inch pieces. Place the chicken into a medium sized bowl and season it with the dry ingredients: basil, garlic powder, salt, paprika.
In a large saute pan, on medium high heat, add the olive oil. Then sauté the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
To the same pan, lower the heat to medium, add the diced purple onion. Allow this to cook until the onions become translucent. About three minutes. Then, add the spinach.
Mix this really well then add the sun-dried tomato pesto sauce, and heavy cream. Continue to stir this until it begins to slightly bubble. Around this time, it should begin to thicken. Once the sauce thickens, add in the Parmesan cheese and stir well. Once everything is combined and creamy, add back in the chicken and cooked pasta. Serve and enjoy!

If your sauce is too thick, you can add 2 tablespoons of pasta water at a time until your desired consistency has been met.

Video

Nutrition