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Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Parmesan Chicken

This Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is quick, easy and exploding with flavor! It’s a quick and easy pulsing of ingredients to create the sensational sun-dried tomato pesto sauce and then you saute it with veggies (optional) and stir in some chicken broth and heavy cream to create CREAMY sun-dried tomato pesto pasta that is lick-the plate delicious. I’ve include ways to customize the sun-dried tomato pesto pasta with different proteins and veggies so it can be different every time - because trust me, you are going to want to make this sun-dried tomato pesto ALL the time!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 -6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. extra broad egg noodles (I like No Yolk)
  • 1 pound chicken breasts pounded thin (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3-1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Chicken Breading (optional)*
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon dry basil
  • 1/2 tsp EACH salt, garlic pwdr, onion pwdr, dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sundried Tomato Pesto
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 shallot, peeled
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 tsp EACH red pepper flakes, dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon flour
Creamy Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 squash, sliced and quartered
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 .5 oz can fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Pasta: Cook the pasta al dente in generously salted water
  2. Chicken (optional) : Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup) and place a cooking rack on top; lightly spray cooking rack with cooking spray.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine Chicken Breading ingredients in a bowl/shallow dish then dredge chicken breasts in mixture. Tap off any excess flour then add chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown on one side, 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook chicken until the other side is golden, 2-3 minutes, then transfer chicken to prepared cooking rack and finish baking in the oven, 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through (cooking time will depend on size and thickness of chicken). Broil chicken until crispy, flip chicken, top with Parmesan cheese and broil until cheese is golden.
  4. Creamy Sundried Tomato Pesto Sauce: Meanwhile, add Sundried Tomato Pesto ingredients to a food processor and process until well blended. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat. Add Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and saute for 4 minutes. Add bell pepper and squash and saute an additional minute.
  5. Stir in chicken broth until well incorporated then stir in heavy cream/cornstarch slurry, milk, fire roasted tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Bring sauce to a boil then reduce to simmer until thickened and vegetables are crisp-tender.
  6. Stir in cooked pasta. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency (optional). Taste and add additional salt, pepper, red pepper to taste.
  7. Top with chicken and serve.

Notes

  • *Optional but recommended! Alternatively you can combine olive oil and the breading spices, rub over chicken and saute chicken then add Parmesan to the entire skillet.