Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Italian-inspired dinner with the best homemade creamy pasta sauce! The sun-dried tomato pasta sauce is made from scratch using basil, red pepper flakes, garlic, paprika, cream, and shredded Mozzarella cheese.
I am a huge fan of pasta, and some of the most popular pasta recipes on this site include this chicken mozzarella pasta that you are reading right now, creamy chicken pasta with bacon, and pesto chicken pasta. One thing all these pasta recipes have in common is that they use creamy, comforting sauces.
If you want to try chicken pasta that is more refreshing, without the creamy sauce, I whole-heartedly recommend family favorite chicken pasta with spinach and tomatoes or super flavorful Italian sausage pasta.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
- This recipe features sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Both ingredients are popular in Italy and in the Mediterranean region.
- The most prominent flavor in this recipe is the homemade sun-dried tomato sauce. The sauce is made from scratch by combining cream with shredded Mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes.
- Cooked chicken and penne pasta are then smothered in this delicious creamy Mozzarella pasta sauce. There is enough sauce to coat every single bite.
Ingredients for sun-dried tomato sauce
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt
- paprika
- basil
- 1 cup half-and-half (or ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup milk)
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
How to make sun-dried tomato sauce
- In a large skillet, cook 3 cloves of minced garlic and 4 oz of chopped sun-dried tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high-medium heat for about 1 minute.
- Add ½ cup of heavy cream + ½ cup of milk (or 1 cup of half-and-half) to the same skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.
- Add 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese.
- Simmer and stir until the cheese melts and forms a creamy pasta sauce.
- Add 1 tablespoon of dried basil, paprika, and at least ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Season with about ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Cooking Tips
- Use either sun-dried tomatoes without oil or sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar). Note: if using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them.
- Sprinkle a small amount of paprika over the chicken before cooking - it adds flavor as well as the color to the dish.
- Make sure to reserve some pasta water as you will DEFINITELY need it to thin out the cream sauce.
- Feel free to increase the amount of spices for this recipe: basil, red pepper flakes, paprika. This will make the sun-dried tomato sauce even more flavorful!
- Make sure to season the chicken mozzarella pasta with just the right amount of salt. That means you might have to add more salt. Salt will enhance the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
How to Make Chicken Mozzarella Pasta
1) In a large skillet, on medium heat sauté garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in the olive oil. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the skillet.
2) Season sliced chicken with salt and paprika.
3) Add the chicken to the skillet and cook on high heat.
4) Add back the sun-dried tomatoes. Add half-and-half and shredded Mozzarella cheese.
5) Bring the mixture to boil, then reduce to simmer and stir the sun-dried tomato sauce until the cheese melts.
6) Add spices: basil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt.
7) Add cooked and drained penne pasta and stir to combine.
More recipes featuring sun-dried tomato pasta
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Mozzarella Sauce features shrimp instead of chicken.
- Asiago Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach - this sun-dried tomato pasta is made even more flavorful with the addition of Asiago cheese and spinach.
- Scallop Pasta features scallops - another protein you can use in place of chicken in a recipe that is otherwise very similar to this one.
- Creamy Mozzarella Pasta with Smoked Sausage is a great choice if you want to make the same pasta with sausage.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta is the meatless version of this recipe.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken and Creamy Mozzarella Sauce
This easy Italian-inspired Chicken Mozzarella Pasta features sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, and paprika. The sun-dried tomato sauce is the star of this recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast tenderloins , sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup half and half (or use ½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup milk)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded (do not use fresh Mozzarella, use pre-shredded Mozzarella)
- 8 oz penne pasta (for gluten free, use gluten free brown rice pasta)
- 1 tablespoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup reserved cooked pasta water or more
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, sauté garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar) for 1 minute on medium heat until the garlic is fragrant.
- Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the skillet, leaving the olive oil.
- Add sliced chicken (salted and lightly covered in paprika for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water. Drain the pasta.
- Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces and add them back to the skillet with chicken.
- To make creamy pasta sauce, add half-and-half (see substitution for half-and-half in the Recipe Notes section below) and Mozzarella cheese to the skillet, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, constantly stirring, until all cheese melts and creamy sauce forms.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the skillet with the cream sauce, and stir to combine.
- Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- If the creamy sauce is too thick: Add about ½ cup of reserved cooked pasta water to the skillet to thin it out. Do not add all of pasta water at once - you might need less or more of it.
- Season the chicken pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.
- Note: Make sure to salt the dish just enough to bring out of the flavors of basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Notes
- What is half-and-half? Substitute ½ cup of milk + ½ cup of heavy cream for 1 cup of half-and-half.
- If using sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (in a jar), make sure to drain sun-dried tomatoes from oil, before using them. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this drained olive oil.
- Do not use fresh Mozzarella. Fresh Mozzarella is usually sold as a large ball or small balls in a brine or water solution. Do not shred fresh Mozzarella. Use pre-shredded Mozzarella cheese sold in bags.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken and Creamy Mozzarella Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
641
% Daily Value*
Fat
24
g
37
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Cholesterol
117
mg
39
%
Sodium
700
mg
30
%
Potassium
1626
mg
46
%
Carbohydrates
62
g
21
%
Fiber
5
g
21
%
Sugar
12
g
13
%
Protein
43
g
86
%
Vitamin A
810
IU
16
%
Vitamin C
13.7
mg
17
%
Calcium
258
mg
26
%
Iron
3.9
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
This recipe was originally published in October 2014 and updated in 2018.
Julia, I just wanted to say that I have tried many of your recipes. There hasn't been one that my family has not loved. Thank you so much.
Maria, thank you for such a sweet comment - it means so much to me! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Not for us. Not much flavor.
May you tell me what type of pasta is being used in the recipe shown on this page i wanna use the exact pasta you used
Makhi, pictured in these photos is Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta (Gluten Free). I will provide the link below. Remember that if using this pasta (or any gluten-free pasta), rinse it under cold water after it's cooked in boiling water so that it doesn't get mushy and keeps its shape. This particular gluten-free pasta is really good, and it keeps its shape well and has great texture:
https://www.vitacost.com/tinkyada-organic-brown-rice-penne-pasta-gluten-free-12-oz-12
Delicious! I only had 1/2 of mozzarella so I substituted the other half for Parmesan. I think the recipe called for too much basil and would scale back on that next time.
Ashley, thank you so much for your feedback! ❤️ I love that you used half Mozzarella, half Parmesan - so flavorful to use both cheeses!
Chicken needs to be removed from skillet to make the sauce. Recipe says otherwise.
Alexis, either method will work!
I made this tonight and it's pretty good. But before even seeing your comment I said I would do that next time.
Brandy, it's one of my older recipes. I would probably do the same now, too, even though either method works. 🙂
I’ve made this twice now and it’s a family favourite. The only change I’ve made is instead of seasoning the chicken with paprika I use Cajun seasoning and I also add about a 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. It’s a keeper.
I am so happy to hear that this recipe has become a favorite! ❤️ Thank you for sharing your favorite ways to prepare it - by using the Cajun seasoning and the Parmesan cheese.
Why is shredded/bagged mozzarella recommended? I typically don’t use it because of the added ingredient
Sarah, I used pre-shredded Mozzarella cheese (labeled as part-skim, low-moisture) in this recipe. You can also use a rectangular block of part-skim, low-moisture Mozzarella cheese and shred it yourself. I just don't recommend using fresh Mozzarella here (sold as soft balls or a soft log). Enjoy! 🙂
Can I make this and freeze, then reheat in oven?
Celeste, I do not recommend freezing this recipe: cheese-based cream sauces don't freeze or reheat well.
Your recipe is terrible. You chose the wrong type of cheese and it ruined my entire dish. The money to buy each ingredients is all a waste because you wrote mozzarella. Mozzarella doesn’t melt easily. After putting that cheese in, it clumped up and ruined the entire dish, making me throw entire thing away. Plus, it’s annoying to see ads all over the website. A good blog doesn’t have ads.
Hana, did you use fresh Mozzarella? If that's the case, that's why you might have had an issue.
Next time, use pre-shredded Mozzarella cheese in a bag (labeled as part-skim, low-moisture).
Jeez , you are rude.. “ your recipe is terrible.” Have some tact please.
Thank you for your support, Cathy! ❤️ Some people just don't have a filter, I guess.
Hi! Can I use sun dried tomatoes in the package? Like the pantry kind?
Leslie, yes, you can use sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil. They work great, too!
the ones in a bag are dry...you may have to hydrate them first..let set in water to soften a bit..
Great tip, Ruth, thank you!
Made this today it is amazing and so simple to make
David, I am so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for your review! 🙂
Hi can you freeze this recipe? 🙂
Elaine, I do not recommend freezing it. Cheese-based creamy sauces separate and lose all their texture when thawed.
Very flavorful recipes. Thank you.
Lynda, I am glad you're enjoying my recipes! ❤️
I made this to take to a friends for dinner. I followed the recipe as written. It was fairly simple to make and really delicious. I will be making it again.
Diane, I am so happy to hear it was a success! 🙂
Fabulous recipe, done it many times but too much ads thst disturbing exploring the recipes.
Jian, glad you loved this recipe! 🙂
I have a jar of roasted red peppers. Could I sub those for the sun dried tomatoes you think??
Leah, yes, roasted red peppers would work great instead of sun-dried tomatoes!
do you make the chicken and the sauce in separate pans and then mix together?
Natasha, first you cook the chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, then you add all the sauce ingredients into the skillet with the chicken and cook the sauce with the chicken in it. Enjoy! 🙂