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Asiago Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach - with everything smothered in a delicious Asiago cheese sauce. Easy recipe that tastes great and looks great.
If you love Asiago cheese, this is a great recipe to try! Asiago definitely has a very strong and distinctive flavor, and when melted into a creamy sauce for this Asiago Chicken Pasta, that flavor becomes more smooth yet you can still recognize it's an Asiago cheese. To me, using Asiago cheese in a pasta sauce is my favorite way to use it. And it is perfectly complemented by chicken sauteed with garlic, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes!
Short pasta, such as penne, is perfect for creamy pasta recipes like this one - Asiago cheese cream sauce perfectly coats every single pasta bite. Both pasta and chicken are literally drowning in the Asiago sauce deliciousness! This recipe can easily be made gluten free by using gluten free brown rice penne.
Asiago Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta (use gluten free brown rice penne, for gluten free version)
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes with oil 2 tablespoons
- 1 lb chicken breast sliced in half, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup half and half and more - (half milk - half cream to form a lighter cream)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Asiago cheese shredded
- 2 cups spinach fresh
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes in oil - if the sun-dried tomatoes are too big, chop them into smaller bites.
- Heat sun-dried tomatoes (cut them) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chopped garlic on medium heat. Add chopped chicken breast to the sun-dried tomatoes and oil - generously season the chicken in the skillet with salt and paprika. Cook chicken until it's cooked through completely.
- To the same skillet with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, add 1 cup of half and half and ¼ teaspoon salt - bring to boil. Add ½ cup of grated Asiago cheese (half of what the recipe calls for) and stir for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Reduce the heat from boil to medium and continue stirring to make sure all cheese melts. At this point, if the sauce is too thin, gradually add the remaining ½ of Asiago cheese on medium heat, constantly stirring all around the skillet.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add another ⅓ cup of half and half and stir.
- Taste the sauce - if ¼ teaspoon salt was not enough, add more.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the sauce. Add spinach, mix everything - cover with the lid and let the pasta sit to allow spinach to wilt, on low simmer. After spinach has wilted, stir everything together to combine, taste and add more salt, if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
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.
I made it twice last weekend for 2
Dinner parties. The first time I used half & half & the sauce separated a little & became graining. The second time, I used half & half & it was delightful & creamy. Both times, I received fantastic reviews by my guest. Was wondering if anyone has used shrimp (seafood of any kind) in place of the chicken. I know the cooking would be different but wondering if it would pair well. Thank you!
Sorry I meant I used heavy whipping cream the 2nd time.
Danielle, thank you for this helpful feedback! Yes, sometimes using heavy cream instead of half-and-half is better for the creamy sauce. I also recommend shredding the cheese as the first step in the recipe or even earlier. So that the cheese is at room temperature when you add it to the sauce.
Danielle, shrimp would be delicious with this sauce! You can add it instead of chicken and it will pair really well!
Can this be froze?
Kristina, I do not recommend freezing creamy sauces as they lose their texture after freezing.
Family favorite for more than 3 years!!
Delicious!
Lori, your comment made my day! ❤️❤️
I’ve made this twice and both times it came out absolutely delicious! I don’t measure but I eyeball everything! Love it!
Wendy, I am so glad you loved this recipe! Thank you for the comment and 5-star review! 🙂
Ten stars! I knew just from the ingredients I would love this so I doubled the recipe. Did exactly as stated. Delicious and seconds worthy. Can not wait to eat it for lunch tomorrow! Thank you so much.
Donna, thank you so much for such a positive and enthusiastic comment! Glad you loved this! 🙂
We make this all the time and it is definitely one of our families favorites. We cannot find Asiago cheese but use Pecorino instead. Great recipe, highly reccomended.
Daniel, I am so flattered by your feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment. Pecorino cheese is so flavorful, too!
I made this tonight and it was so delicious I would have licked my plate if I was eating alone! This dish will definitely go into my cookbook of "Favorite" recipes. Thank you for taking the time and trouble of bringing us a wonderful meal!
Cheryl, I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed! And, thank YOU for taking the time to share such a positive review! 🙂
Can you make this in the crockpot?
Felish, unfortunatley, I have never made it in a slow cooker.
Love this recipe,I add spoon full of basil pesto sauce and it tastes exactly like Milestones chicken Asiago pasta!!! So yummy and so easy.
Katarina, I bet it tastes so good with the basil pesto sauce! What a great idea!
I’ve made this recipe twice. The first time the sauce came out very clumpy. I thought maybe the sauce “broke” because I boiled it. The second time I made sure not to boil it and it came out a little better but not “creamy”. Like the description said. We still enjoyed it very much. The flavor was excellent but I wish I could figure out how to make it creamy.
Kristin, I am glad you liked it! Sorry to hear about the troubles with the sauce. Try lowering your temperature to medium, just at a visible simmer, and whisk constantly to melt the cheese.
Just made this! Smells amazing and taste really good but not creamy at all! I used a carton of pregrated cheese from the deli…and half and half …. Should I add a little Alfredo sauce to make it more creamy?
Sharon, here are some troubleshooting tips:
1) Next time, try using heavy cream instead of half-and-half. Sometimes, the sauce will curdle when there is not enough fat in the sauce.
2) Make sure the cheese is at room temperature. Before you start making the recipe, take the amount you need out of the fridge and set it out on the counter to warm up. Or, you might have to microwave it briefly (without, obviously, melting it in the microwave). Just bring the cheese to room temperature before adding it to the sauce. I would buy a block of Asiago cheese and grate/shred it myself.
3) Bring the sauce to a stable simmer (but not boil) - mix the sauce ingredients on a low simmer, slowly, and patiently. Do not boil the sauce - just simmer.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Chris, I usually do not recommend freezing the sauce made with cream and cheese as it will negatively affect the texture.
If you do choose to freeze it, thaw the dish before reheating. Then, reheat on medium heat on the stovetop, stirring regularly. You might have to add a small amount of chicken broth or half-and-half, or heavy cream to thin out the sauce and make it creamier.
So simple and amazingly delicious. Everyone loved it!!!
Joy, I am very happy to hear that! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Looks delicious !! Can't wait to make this dish
I hope you enjoy it!
5 Stars!!!! Absolutely delicious and so simple!!!
Margaret, thank you so much for such an enthusiastic comment!
My daughter-in-law made this for us over the holiday and it was so perfect after a long day of traveling. A tossed salad, a glass of wine and this dish made for some happy travelers. I will be making the dish next week!
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed! Serving this with the salad and a glass of wine is the best!
I have made this dish numerous times, it's a one pot meal. I use the frozen seasoned chicken breast. I also add Bertolli sauce. Thanks for sharing.
Sharie, you are very welcome! Glad you've enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback! 🙂