Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken and Mozzarella

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Add 1 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese.
4. Simmer and stir until the cheese melts and forms a creamy pasta sauce.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of dried basil, paprika, and at least ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
6. 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.