Some ingredients never go out of style, and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are proof of that! In this creamy Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, they pop like tiny flavor jewels alongside tender rotisserie chicken, wilted spinach, and a rich Parmesan sauce. It's the kind of comforting, deeply satisfying dinner that brings everyone back for seconds.
Jump to:
- 🗝️ Recipe's key points
- 🛒 Ingredients
- 🗒 Instructions
- 🥫 Storage
- 🧄 How to roast garlic
- 🍅 Sun-dried Tomatoes
- 📚 Variations
- 👩🏻🍳 Tips
- 🤔 FAQs
- 📗 Related Recipes
- 🍽 What to serve with spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta
- 🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
- 📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
- 📖 Recipe
- 👩🏻🍳 Tips
- 📚 Variations
- 💬 Comments
🗝️ Recipe's key points
- You’ll love how sweet, tangy sun-dried tomatoes pop like little flavor jewels in every bite. This classic ingredient is here to stay, not just a trend.
- A rich, velvety cream sauce comes together in one pot. Use heavy cream, Parmesan, and starchy pasta water. They coat every noodle perfectly.
- This quick, cozy chicken pasta dinner feels special for guests. Yet it stays easy for a weeknight. Use rotisserie chicken for speed. Add bright, wilted spinach to finish. Everyone will come back for seconds.
Just honest, comforting cooking at its best. This spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta deserves a permanent spot in your dinner rotation. Everyone will ask, “When are you making it again?”
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for the Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta recipe. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Fresh spinach – Adds texture and a fresh, leafy element to this dish. You can use fresh or frozen spinach. Frozen spinach must be thawed and squeezed dry before added to the rest of the ingredients.
- Penne pasta – Feel free to swap in another short pasta that holds sauce well. Try farfalle (bowtie), rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, cavatappi, or macaroni.
- Sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed) – Go for the oil-packed, sliced kind. They taste richer than the fully dried ones. Be sure to save the oil from the jar. You’ll use it to sauté the onion and sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion is suitable.
- Garlic (sliced and roasted) – This recipe calls for a combination of fresh and roasted garlic.
- Kosher salt – Enhances the flavors of this spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta.
- Red pepper flakes – For a lovely kick of heat that isn't overpowering.
- Heavy whipping cream – Creates a creamy, smooth, and velvety sauce.
- Parmesan cheese – Always use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor. It makes this sun-dried tomato pasta recipe truly Italian!
- Rotisserie chicken – Add shredded rotisserie chicken to this creamy sun-dried tomato pasta for convenience or feel free to use leftover roast chicken or Baked Chicken Breast from previous meals.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this rotisserie chicken pasta recipe. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain it. Drain the pasta right over the spinach in a colander. The hot pasta will wilt the spinach. Save 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain it. Set aside.
- Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and onion. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring often, until tender.
- Add garlic (sliced and roasted), salt, and crushed red pepper.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add the cream to the pot.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, until reduced slightly.
- Stir in pasta, spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Stir to combine, then add the reserved pasta water gradually until the pasta is coated in a saucy consistency. Season to taste with salt; then serve with additional Parmesan.
🥫 Storage
Store leftover chicken sun-dried tomato pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Simply reheat leftovers in the microwave or the oven. I also like to add a splash of water to the sauce as it will thicken during storage.
🧄 How to roast garlic
Don't have any leftover roasted garlic on hand? No problem! It's super simple to make from scratch for this recipe. Here's how:
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Cut the top off a head of garlic to expose the cloves.
- Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil and add a pinch of salt.
- Wrap the foil tightly around the garlic and put it on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.
- Take it out of the oven, open the foil, and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins and into a bowl.
🍅 Sun-dried Tomatoes
Sun-dried tomatoes have had quite the journey. They burst onto the culinary scene in the 1980s, and by the mid-90s, thanks to the rise of the Food Network, they were everywhere. The problem was that their skyrocketing popularity led to mass production. To meet demand, producers often used fast dehydration methods instead of slow, traditional sun-drying. The result was a flood of bland, flavorless sun-dried tomato products. They left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, so chefs moved on fast.
But a good sun-dried tomato is nothing short of culinary gold. Today, many producers are back to traditional methods. They make savory, bold little bites. These can lift any dish with very little effort.
Here are just a few delicious ways to use them:
- Toss in pasta: Their concentrated, savory flavor is a perfect match for pasta dishes, like this Cheese Tortellini Salad, adding depth without any extra work.
- Mix into salad dressings: Finely mince them and whisk into a homemade vinaigrette, along with a splash of oil from the jar for an instant flavor boost.
- Elevate your spreads: Mix minced sun-dried tomatoes into plain mayonnaise. You’ll get a gourmet sandwich spread. Even a simple desk lunch feels special. Buon appetito!
- Transform a chicken dish: Creamy, rich, and loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, recipes like Marry Me Chicken offer a modern and delicious take on comfort food.
📚 Variations
- For a vegan, dairy-free twist on this sun-dried tomato pasta, swap in oat or coconut cream. Use nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan instead of cheese. Replace the shredded chicken with tofu or mushrooms. It’s a delicious alternative!
- Use gluten-free pasta or serve the creamy sauce over zucchini noodles for a gluten-free meal.
- Feel free to add in additional vegetables such as sliced mushrooms to this rotisserie chicken pasta recipe. You can add them to the cooked onion and allow them to simmer in the sauce so that they are soft and tender for serving.
- If you don’t mind dairy but heavy cream cream is too rich, you could use Greek yogurt instead.
- Increase the red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne for a little extra heat in this creamy spinach pasta.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Heavy cream works best for the sauce. Anything lighter, and it may not thicken properly.
- I always grate a block of cheese for my recipes. Pre-shredded Parmesan won’t have as much flavor and doesn’t melt as well.
- Cooking with the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes adds a deeper, richer flavor than using regular olive oil.
- The hot pasta water helps wilt the fresh baby spinach while adding flavor and heat. It also serves as a great thickening liquid for the sauce without diluting the taste.
- If you use frozen spinach, thaw it fully. Then squeeze out extra water before adding it to the dish.
🤔 FAQs
Are oil-packed or dry sun-dried tomatoes better for pasta?
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are best for creamy pasta recipes. They’re softer, more flavorful, and the oil adds rich, savory depth to the sauce.
Can I substitute milk for heavy cream?
Heavy cream creates the richest texture. For a lighter option, you can use half-and-half, but the sauce may be thinner.
Can I make this pasta without chicken?
Absolutely. Leave out the chicken for a vegetarian spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta, or add mushrooms for extra heartiness.
How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce.
Can I freeze this pasta?
Cream-based sauces can separate when frozen, so it’s best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated for short-term.
What can I do with leftover sun-dried tomato oil?
Use it in salad dressings, drizzle over grilled vegetables, or brush onto chicken before roasting for added flavor.
📗 Related Recipes
Bring new life to your everyday cooking with sun-dried tomatoes. Their sweet, tangy punch turns these simple dishes into something truly special.
- Marry Me Chicken - This one-pot dish lives up to its name with juicy chicken and a creamy, aromatic sauce featuring sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cheese Tortellini Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Rainbow-colored tortellini is tossed with Mediterranean vegetables and sun-dried tomatoes for a pasta salad with a unique look and bold flavor.
- Creamy One-Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta - Shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan melt into a rich sauce as the orzo cooks, creating an easy, gourmet-quality dinner perfect for any night.
🍽 What to serve with spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta
This easy weeknight pasta dinner is an entire meal in itself with protein, vegetables, and carbs. If you do feel like adding some side dishes to this meal, consider homemade dinner rolls, something fresh like this Italian summer salad, or roasted vegetables such as roasted asparagus or broccoli with Parmesan cheese and garlic.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this sun-dried tomato pasta recipe successfully.
- Pasta pot – Used to boil the penne pasta until al dente.
- Colander – Holds the fresh spinach so the hot pasta water can wilt it perfectly while draining the noodles.
- Large skillet – Serves as the main cooking vessel for building the creamy sauce and combining all the ingredients.
- Sharp knife – Makes quick work of chopping the onion and slicing the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic.
- Cutting board – Provides a stable surface for prepping all the vegetables and aromatics.
- Dry measuring cup and spoons – Ensures precise amounts of ingredients like salt, red pepper, and Parmesan.
- Liquid measuring cup – Measures the heavy cream and reserved the starchy pasta water for the sauce.
- Wooden mixing spoon – Gently stirs everything together without scratching the skillet.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
You know, amici, sun-dried tomatoes had their moment… and then they had their fall. But good ingredients always find their way back to the table. When they’re oil-packed, rich, and full of real flavor, they’re not trendy — they’re timeless.
This pasta is what I love most about cooking. Simple ingredients. Big flavor. And that sweet moment when everyone comes back for seconds. The spinach stays bright and beautiful, the cream wraps everything in comfort, and those little sun-dried tomatoes? They pop like tiny flavor jewels.
Serve it in your favorite ciotola (bowl). Sprinkle on plenty of Parmesan. Grab una forchetta (fork), or even a big un cucchiaio grande (a big spoon). Then call everyone to the table. Because this one? It’s staying in the dinner rotation.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Crreamy Spinach-And-Sun-Dried-Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
- 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes plus 1 tablespoon oil from jar
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 tsp. sliced garlic
- 2 Tbsp. leftover roasted garlic
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more to serve
- 2 cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
Instructions
Cook pasta and wilt spinach:
- Place chopped fresh spinach in a colander in the sink.
- Cook penne pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta over the spinach. Set aside.
Cook tomatoes and onions:
- Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes and chopped yellow onion; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add sliced garlic, leftover roasted garlic, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute.
Finish with sauce:
- Add heavy whipping cream; cook until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
Complete the dish:
- Stir in pasta, spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Stir to combine, then gradually add the reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated to a sauce-like consistency.
Season and serve:
- Season to taste with kosher salt; serve with additional Parmesan.
Notes
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Heavy cream works best for the sauce. Anything lighter, and it may not thicken properly.
- I always grate a block of cheese for my recipes. Pre-shredded Parmesan won’t have as much flavor and doesn’t melt as well.
- Cooking with the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes adds a deeper, richer flavor than using regular olive oil.
- The hot pasta water helps wilt the fresh baby spinach while adding flavor and heat. It also serves as a great thickening liquid for the sauce without diluting the taste.
- If you use frozen spinach, thaw it fully. Then squeeze out extra water before adding it to the dish.
📚 Variations
- For a vegan, dairy-free twist on this sun-dried tomato pasta, swap in oat or coconut cream. Use nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan instead of cheese. Replace the shredded chicken with tofu or mushrooms. It’s a delicious alternative!
- Use gluten-free pasta or serve the creamy sauce over zucchini noodles for a gluten-free meal.
- Feel free to add in additional vegetables such as sliced mushrooms to this rotisserie chicken pasta recipe. You can add them to the cooked onion and allow them to simmer in the sauce so that they are soft and tender for serving.
- If you don’t mind dairy but heavy cream cream is too rich, you could use Greek yogurt instead.
- Increase the red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne for a little extra heat in this creamy spinach pasta.
