It’s time to switch up the tried and true spaghetti with meat sauce. Bright sundried tomatoes and earthy mushrooms bring a unique flavor to this quick and easy Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta. Best part? It will be on your dinner table in no time. Let’s get into it.
The Protein
In this recipe, we’re using chicken tenders. They’re mild enough in flavor, juicy, and, as the name suggests, tender. The tenders can also be substituted with chicken breast, skinless and boneless chicken thighs, or even shrimp. You want something that will cook up relatively quickly. Again the goal here is a quick meal.
The Pasta
I’m using Farfalle in this recipe because I had it on hand. Rigatoni, penne, or Fusilli would work as well. Casarecce is my favorite but it can be hard to find on a consistent basis in my neck of the woods. Whichever noodle you choose, I highly recommend short-cut pasta as opposed to longer noodles.
The Sauce
This sauce is straightforward, with a few simple ingredients shining. We’re talking white-cooking wine, heavy cream, chicken stock, and a little parmesan cheese.
Veggie-wise, we’re starting with shallots, which offer a milder onion flavor that won’t overpower the stars of this dish. Chopped garlic is essential, and, when mixed with the shallot, helps build a solid flavor base.
Next up we have the highly underrated sun-dried tomatoes. I use a heavy hand with them because I simply love them. They have a concentrated tomato flavor and a higher acidity that really shines in this dish. Moving onto mushrooms. Full disclosure, mushrooms are not my favorite (looking at you texture), but I can appreciate what they bring to the table. These earthy little fungi help bring umami flavor that helps balance out the acidity from the tomatoes and wine.
We’re big fans of quick and easy pasta dishes in this house. Sundried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta is one that is sure to please. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Sun-Dried Tomato and Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
Pan Seared Chicken
- 1 lbs chicken tenders
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Pasta Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil divided
- ½ tbsp butter
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- ½ cup dry white cooking wine
- ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lbs farfalle pasta
- 1 cup pasta cooking water
Instructions
Cook the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt. Once boiling, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
Cooking the chicken
- While the pasta is cooking, begin cooking the chicken. Place the chicken in a large glass bowl and season with italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the seasoned chicken in the pan. Cook the chicken for 3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it to the side and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces
Make the Sauce
- In the same pan that you used to cook the chicken, heat ½ tbsp olive oil and butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the mushroom to the pan. Take care as to not overcrowd the pan, as you want the mushrooms to brown. If necessary, work in batches. Remove the mushrooms and set them to the side.
- To the pan, add the remaining ½ tbsp of olive oil, minced shallot, and garlic. Sautee until soft and translucent. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant. Add the mushrooms back into the pan.
- Deglaze the pan with the white cooking wine, gently scraping and brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and cream and bring to a simmer.
- Turn the heat off the pan. Add the sliced chicken, cooked pasta, and parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved cooking water. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute the chicken tenders with chicken breast (skinless and boneless), chicken thighs (skinless and boneless), or shrimp.
- Make sure you use a skillet or sautee pan large enough to accommodate the volume of this recipe.
- Add in more veggies! Spinach, asparagus, and kale would all be lovely here.