Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Pasta, chicken and fresh spinach tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato pesto sauce. Parmesan melts into the sauce, and a few extra shavings go over each bowl.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Additional Optional Ingredients
- Additional sun-dried tomato pesto for drizzling
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and sliced
- Shaved Parmesan
- Flaky sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.8 ounces pasta
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, just until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken and sprinkle it with the salt and paprika. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1½-inch chunks, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the pesto and cook for about 2 minutes more.⅓ cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- Stir the heavy whipping cream and milk into the chicken and pesto mixture and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan until melted.½ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup milk, 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the spinach. Add the drained rigatoni and toss until the spinach wilts and the pasta is coated. If needed, stir in a splash of reserved pasta water at a time to loosen the sauce.2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Serve warm with extra pesto, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, and flaky salt, if desired.
Notes
- Finely grate the Parmesan for the sauce. Use a vegetable peeler to shave more from the same wedge for serving.
- Taste the finished pasta before adding flaky salt.
- Taste the finished pasta before adding flaky salt.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1048mg | Potassium: 742mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2379IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 410mg | Iron: 2mg
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
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