Description
This Chicken Mozzarella Pasta is a creamy, flavorful dish with seasoned chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and a rich mozzarella sauce. It’s a quick and easy recipe that combines the goodness of macaroni pasta, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes in a savory, cheesy sauce perfect for any dinner table. Whether you’re looking for easy dinner recipes or a high-protein recipe, this dish will satisfy all cravings!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz macaroni pasta or penne pasta
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced into small pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Creamy Sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes (without oil), sliced into small chunks
- 1 cup half-and-half (1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/3 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Sauté Garlic & Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the skillet, leaving the oil in the pan.
- Cook Chicken – Season chicken with salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Cook the chicken pieces for 1 minute on each side over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cook Pasta – Cook macaroni pasta according to package directions. Save about ⅓ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Prepare Creamy Sauce – In the same skillet, add half-and-half and mozzarella cheese. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, stirring frequently until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
- Combine – Add the cooked pasta to the creamy sauce and mix until well combined.
- Season – Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to blend.
- Adjust Sauce – If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
- Garnish & Serve – Garnish with extra oregano or basil and red pepper flakes for a little extra flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can swap out the pasta for whole wheat or gluten-free options for a healthier version.
- If you like extra heat, add more red pepper flakes or some chopped fresh chilies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 641 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg