A veggie and protein-packed pasta with the most creamy sun-dried tomato sauce?! Yes, please! Say hello to this sun dried tomato chicken pasta!
The star of the show, per usual in most of my recipes, is the sauce! Made using blended cashews and sun-dried tomatoes with a few other ingredients for the perfect thick and creamy consistency. No heavy cream or dairy is needed – making this recipe dairy-free.
This sun dried tomato chicken pasta recipe does have a few moving parts, but it is super easy to throw together and makes an easy weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes. Some components can be prepped ahead of time as well to make it even easier. The leftovers save great as well and can be made for meal prep.
Sun-dried tomato pasta highlights
- the sauce is amazing – the star of the show and seriously so so creamy as the cashews bring it to the next level. It reminds me of a cream sauce, but without all the cream!
- macro-balanced – we have protein from the chicken and pasta, carbs from the pasta, healthy fat from the cashews, and fiber from the veggies and pasta.
- loaded with lots of veggies, which means all the micronutrients – it’s loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B3 and B6, and vitamin K (all over 100% of your daily needs). It also has 50% of your needs of phosphorus, potassium, selenium, folate, and vitamins B1 and B2. Talk about a nutrient powerhouse!
- customizable – change up the vegetables, protein, or pasta as you can easily use what you have on hand.
Ingredients
- pasta – we are using rigatoni
- olive oil
- chicken breasts
- bell peppers
- zucchini
- spinach
- sun dried tomatoes – I like using the ones in olive oil to add some extra flavor. Just make sure to drain them before using them.
- cashews – soaked and blended to make the creamy sauce
- nutritional yeast
- garlic
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
How to make sun dried tomato chicken pasta
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the instructions. When draining, reserve at least 1 cup (or more depending on your preference) of pasta water.
- Prep your ingredients. Dice chicken into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, chop the veggies, and soak cashews. Once the pasta water is almost boiling, things start to move fast so you will want everything prepped.
- Prep your sauce. Add soaked and drained cashews, 1/2 of the sun-dried tomatoes, nutrition yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender. Set aside.
- Make the chicken. When the water is almost boiling for the pasta, you’ll start cooking your chicken and veggies. Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Add chicken and salt and pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Make the veggies. In the same pan with the remaining chicken juices, add peppers and salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add zucchini and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add chopped spinach and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low.
- Assemble. Drain pasta, saving at least 1 cup of the pasta water. Add 1 cup of pasta water to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Then add cooked pasta, the rest of the sun-dried tomatoes, and sun dried tomato pasta sauce to the pan. Stir well to combine and let warm through, about 1-2 minutes. If needed, add more pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Serve and enjoy! Top with basil and enjoy!
Sun dried tomato pasta sauce
The real star of this dish is the sun dried tomato sauce. It is so thick and creamy – no cream or dairy is needed!
If you have been here a while, you know I am a huge fan of blending cashews with spices, herbs, and condiments to make the most creamy sauces. Check out these 6 unique vegan sauces, with 4 of them using cashews in them.
Cashews have a super neutral taste, meaning they can pair well with so many things. They also blend up into the most creamy texture, making them perfect for sauces.
- sun dried tomatoes
- cashews – soaked in water and drained. This allows them to soften and blend up nicely.
- nutritional yeast – for a little bit of cheesy flavor
- lemon juice
- garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- pasta water – from making your pasta
First, soak your cashews in water overnight, or for at least 4 hours. If you forget (which I do a lot), you can just add them to a bowl, cover them with water, and microwave them for 1-2 minutes.
Once they are soaked, drain and rinse them. Then add everything else to a Vitamix or high-powered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust according to taste if desired.
Meal prep and reheating
This pasta is very meal prep friendly. I would suggest holding off cooking the pasta until you are ready to eat, but the other ingredients can be made ahead of time for a quicker assembly.
- partial prep – cook your chicken and veggies and allow them to cool. Store in the fridge. I would suggest slightly undercooking so that when you heat them up, they get to the perfect consistency. In addition, you can also make the creamy pasta sauce and store it in a jar, but you will have to use plain water or broth instead of pasta water. When you are ready, make your pasta, heat up the veggie and chicken mixture in a pan, and add to the sauce. Let it all warm through.
- full prep – just follow the directions as written. It should keep in the fridge for 4 days, although the veggies will lose a little bit of their texture as time goes on.
- storage and heating them up – allow the pasta to cool completely. Store in an airtight glass container. To heat it up, pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through. To be honest, I love this pasta cold – it’s like a pasta salad!
Substitutions
- pasta – any kind of pasta will work (penne, spaghetti, angel hair, elbow…). I like rigatoni has it has a good surface area to soak up the pasta sauce. If needed, opt for gluten-free pasta to make this meal gluten-free.
- olive oil – any kind of neutral oil will work.
- chicken breasts – you can use chicken thighs instead of breasts. This will add a little more fat to the recipe. Ground chicken or turkey will also work.
- veggies – use any veggies you like! The more the merrier. Onion, broccoli, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts would be good substitutes or additions.
- sun dried tomatoes – fresh or jarred with work for this recipe. You could also use sun-dried tomato paste, but you might not need as much of it (I have not tried this).
- cashews – I love cashews since they are very bland and neutral in flavor. That being said, you could probably use almonds, macadamia, or pine nuts instead, but the flavor will change slightly. If allergic to nuts, you could try sunflower seeds.
- nutritional yeast – nutritional yeast is a vegetarian and vegan supplement made from deactivated yeast. It has a cheesy and nutty flavor. You can leave it out if you don’t have it or substitute it with grated parmesan cheese.
- garlic – use you can garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Use 1/2 teaspoon.
More healthy pasta recipes
- creamy vegan pasta with veggies
- chicken parmesan pasta skillet
- BLT pasta salad
- lemon asparagus pasta with feta
- chicken ranch pasta with broccoli
If you love quick and easy healthy recipes, check out our free 30-Minute Meals Recipe Book!
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Healthy creamy sun dried tomato chicken pasta packed with protein and veggies and tossed with a delicious sun dried tomato pasta sauce without any cream or dairy! Ready in about 30 minutes for a well-balanced meal.
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ingredients
Chicken Pasta
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups diced bell pepper (230 grams/1 large)
- 2 cups diced zucchini (230 grams/1 medium)
- 4 packed cups spinach, roughly chopped (120 grams)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (75 grams)*
- salt and pepper, to taste
- toppings: fresh basil, parmesan cheese
Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 cup cashews, drained and soaked **
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (75 grams)*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup pasta water
- salt and pepper, to taste
instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to the instructions. When draining, reserve at least 1 cup (or more depending on your preference) of pasta water.
- Prep your ingredients. Dice chicken into 1-inch pieces, chop the veggies, and soak cashews. Once the pasta water is almost boiling, things start to move fast so you will want everything prepped.
- Prep your sauce. Add soaked and drained cashews, 1/2 of the sun-dried tomatoes, nutrition yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender. Set aside.
- Make the chicken. When the water is almost boiling for the pasta, you’ll start cooking your chicken and veggies. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and let it get hot. Add chicken and salt and pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Make the veggies. In the same pan with the remaining chicken juices, add peppers and salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add zucchini and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add chopped spinach and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Turn down the heat to low.
- Assemble. Drain pasta, saving at least 1 cup of the pasta water. Add 1 cup of pasta water to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Then add cooked pasta, the rest of the sun-dried tomatoes, and blended pasta sauce to the pan. Mix well to combine and let warm through, about 1-2 minutes. If needed, add more pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Serve with optional toppings and enjoy!
notes
*I used diced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and drained the oil. You can also use fresh sun-dried tomatoes.
**add cashews to a bowl with water and soak overnight, or for at least 4 hours. If you forget (which I do a lot), you can just add them to a bowl, cover them with water, and microwave them for 1 minute until soft.
nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1/4 of recipe/403 grams cooked))
Calories 569
Calories from Fat 182
% Daily Value*
Fat 20.2g31%
Saturated Fat 3.2g20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 10.4g
Cholesterol 83mg28%
Potassium 1493mg43%
Carbohydrates 61.6g21%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 39.5g79%
Vitamin A 4776IU96%
Vitamin C 130mg158%
Calcium 76mg8%
Iron 5.5mg31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe or anything from Eat the Gains, leave a comment and rating to let people know how you liked it! Also, make sure to post it and tag me so I can see all of your creations!! @eatthegains and #eatthegains on Instagram!
Jessie says
Any suggestions for substitution for the cashews in the sauce? My son is allergic to cashews as well as peanuts and pistachios, so those are all no go’s in our house😕
Kelly says
Hey Jessie! Yes – almonds, macadamia, or pine nuts will work (the flavor will change slightly). If allergic to nuts, you could try sunflower seeds!
Latasha says
Thank you so much for sharing. I have been trying to get away from always eating chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. I struggle eating outside of these foods.
I am a firefighter. Every third day we are looking for healthy meals to please multiple taste. I made this one for the guys and they loved it. I used the cheap grated parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast. The leftovers was even better.
Kelly says
This makes me so happy to hear that it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for trying it, Latasha!!
Hannah scanlon says
Love this recipe! I doubled the sauce, kind of by accident, so I have some left over. Do you think the sauce will keep in the fridge or freezer okay for future use?
Kelly says
Hey Hannah! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Yes, it should keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thanks for trying it!
Dan says
Can’t wait to try it
Kelly says
Hope you enjoy it!
Sam @ Pancakewarriors says
Oh my I love that you used cashews to get this extra creamy. I love zoodles with sundried tomatoes but this sauce sounds extra special. Love it!!
Kelly says
Thanks Sam! I have been loving adding cashews to sauces. So creamy 🙂