Spicy Chicken Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This spicy chicken pasta is creamy, but with just the right amount of spice. It feels very elegant, but is easy to whip up any time.

I came up with this recipe a few years ago and it has become a family favorite.     It’s a pasta dish with a slightly spicy cream sauce and lots of cheese.  What’s not to love, right?  Every time I eat something at a restaurant that I really like, I  try to figure out all the ingredients so that I can go home and make my own version of it.  I had a dish similar to this one time and decided to try to recreate it.  I made it several times and changed it several times.  I’m pretty happy with the outcome now after lots of trial and error.

Here’s what you will need:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite sized strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 t dried basil

1/8 t crushed red pepper

¾ c chicken broth

½ c oil packed sun dried tomatoes

¼ c white wine

½ c heavy whipping cream

¼ – ½ c grated parmesan cheese

8 oz bowtie pasta

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat for about a minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chicken, basil and crushed red pepper. This is where you can adjust the spicy element of this dish. I usually add more than 1/8 of a teaspoon, but my family really loves spicy food. Just experiment with this amount, but what I’ve suggested will just give you a little spice. Cook and stir the chicken for 4 or 5 minutes or until it is cooked through and browning a little.

Add broth, tomatoes and wine. I suggest a Chardonnay, but you can use whatever white wine you want as long as it’s not overly sweet. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes. This just makes the chicken really tender and allows it to soak up the flavors.

Stir in cream and cheese and simmer a few more minutes until it starts to thicken a little bit. You can definitely add more cheese if you want – I usually do.

Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Drain and stir into chicken mixture until heated through and thoroughly coated with the cheese. At this point, add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately. I like to do as much as possible in advance, so I usually cook the chicken and then take it off the heat and set it aside.  Then, when you’re ready to finish the dish, you can reheat it and then add the cream and cheese and go from there.

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Spicy Chicken Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite sized strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 t dried basil
• 1/8-1/4 t crushed red pepper
• 3/4 c chicken broth
• 1/2 c oil packed sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 c white wine (I suggest a chardonnay)
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 1/4-1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
• 8 oz bowtie pasta

Instructions

1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2

Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

3

Add chicken, basil and crushed red pepper.

4

Cook and stir the chicken until it is lightly browned (4-5 minutes)

5

Add broth, tomatoes, and wine. Bring this mixture to a boil.

6

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

7

Stir in cream and cheese and simmer until it thickens up a bit. Add more cheese if desired.

8

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain and add to skillet and thoroughly coat with sauce. Add more cheese if you'd like. Serve immediately