Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Bow Tie Pasta isn’t just a meal; it’s a weeknight revelation! This incredibly flavorful and quick dish is guaranteed to become a family favorite, making busy evenings feel effortless and delicious.
In the quest for effortless yet exciting dinner ideas, this Easy Pasta Dinner Recipe with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes stands out as a true winner. When inspiration wanes, and the timeless question “What’s for dinner?” arises, this vibrant pasta dish is the answer that consistently earns rave reviews in our home. It’s the perfect blend of simplicity and gourmet flavor, making it an essential addition to any busy cook’s repertoire.
Why This Chicken Pasta Recipe is a Weeknight Essential
Life moves fast, especially with school seasons, work commitments, and countless activities. The demand for quick, satisfying, and nutritious meals is ever-present. This recipe for Chicken with Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Bow Tie Pasta originally began as a simple note from a cooking show decades ago, evolving over the years into a perfected dish that consistently delivers on taste and convenience.
- Unmatched Flavor: The star of this dish, sun-dried tomatoes, infuse every bite with a deep, concentrated sweetness and tang that elevates the humble chicken and pasta to an extraordinary level. Paired with aromatic garlic and fresh basil, it’s a symphony of Mediterranean-inspired tastes.
- Lightning-Fast Preparation: From start to finish, this meal is ready in approximately 30 minutes. This makes it an ideal choice for frantic weeknights when you need a wholesome, homemade dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Family-Friendly Appeal: This isn’t just a hit with the adults; children adore the fun bow tie pasta shape and the savory chicken. Even broccoli skeptics often find themselves enjoying the tender florets nestled in the rich sauce. It’s truly one of our Best Pasta Recipes.
- Nutritious and Wholesome: Packed with lean protein from the chicken, essential vitamins from the vibrant broccoli, and healthy fats from olive oil, this dish is as good for you as it is delicious. It’s a balanced meal that fuels busy bodies and minds.
- Incredibly Versatile: While the recipe provides a fantastic base, it’s highly adaptable. Adjust the spice level with more red pepper flakes, add extra vegetables, or even swap out the protein. It’s a recipe that encourages creativity and caters to individual preferences.
This easy chicken pasta recipe perfectly addresses the need for efficiency without compromising on flavor. All you need is a warm loaf of crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce, and your complete meal is ready to be enjoyed. Don’t forget to explore more of our favorite easy dinner recipes further down!
Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Bow Tie Pasta
Creating a truly remarkable dish often begins with understanding the core ingredients. This Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bow Tie Pasta relies on a selection of simple yet powerful components that come together to create its signature flavor. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need:
- Pantry Staples: Gather your foundational flavors – rich Butter for sautéing, good quality Olive Oil for depth, fragrant Dried Basil for an authentic Italian touch, and Seasoning Salt to perfectly balance the flavors. These form the aromatic base of your dish.
- Bow Tie Pasta (Farfalle): This charming pasta shape is not just for aesthetics; its “bow tie” structure perfectly captures and holds the delicious sauce, ensuring every bite is flavorful. While farfalle is preferred, feel free to use penne, rigatoni, or even fettuccine as alternatives.
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: Opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into uniform cubes or strips. This ensures even cooking and tender, juicy pieces that meld beautifully with the pasta and vegetables. Thighs can also be used for extra richness.
- Garlic Cloves: Freshly minced garlic is non-negotiable here. It provides a pungent, aromatic foundation that is key to the dish’s overall appeal. Don’t skimp on the garlic!
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For a subtle warmth or a fiery kick, crushed red pepper flakes add a fantastic dimension. Adjust the amount to precisely suit your palate – a pinch for mild, more for those who love a bit of heat.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: These concentrated flavor bombs are the heart of the recipe. We recommend using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, as the oil adds extra richness and moisture. If they are in halves, cut them into strips; julienned varieties are a great time-saver. Their intense, sweet-tart taste is irreplaceable.
- White Wine or Dry Vermouth: A splash of dry white wine or vermouth serves as an excellent flavor enhancer, deglazing the pan and adding a subtle acidity that brightens the entire dish. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, a good quality vegetable broth can be used as a substitute.
- Chicken Broth: Choose a low-sodium, high-quality chicken broth (like Pacific brand, known for its balanced flavor). This liquid forms the light, savory sauce that coats the pasta and vegetables, bringing all the components together.
- Fresh Broccoli: Crisp, fresh broccoli florets add essential color, texture, and nutrition. Remove the tough stems and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces to ensure they cook quickly and evenly, maintaining a pleasant tender-crisp texture.
- Parmesan Cheese (Optional): A generous grating of fresh Parmesan cheese at the end adds a salty, umami finish that perfectly complements the other flavors.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta
Creating this delicious pasta dish is surprisingly simple, even for novice cooks. Follow these clear steps to achieve a restaurant-quality meal right in your own kitchen. Precision in prep and attention to timing are your keys to success!
Expert Tips for a Flawless Chicken Pasta Experience
While this recipe is straightforward, a few clever tips can elevate your dish from good to absolutely unforgettable. Pay attention to these insights to ensure perfect texture, maximum flavor, and a smooth cooking process every time you prepare this easy chicken with broccoli pasta.
- Efficient Prep is Key: To genuinely achieve that 30-minute meal status, master the art of “mise en place” (everything in its place). While your pasta water comes to a rolling boil, chop your chicken into uniform pieces and prepare your broccoli florets. This parallel processing significantly speeds up your cooking time.
- Uniform Chicken Pieces: Ensure all your chicken is cut into roughly similar-sized cubes or strips. This critical step guarantees that every piece cooks through evenly and at the same rate, preventing some pieces from drying out while others are still undercooked.
- Patience During Sautéing: Don’t rush the sautéing process. Allow the chicken to develop a beautiful, light golden-brown crust. This browning, known as the Maillard reaction, creates incredible depth of flavor that can’t be achieved otherwise.
- The Magic of Salted Pasta Water (PRO-Tip): Always, always cook your pasta in generously salted water. It should taste distinctly briny, like the ocean. The pasta absorbs this salt as it cooks, infusing it with flavor from the inside out. Adding salt only after the pasta is cooked will not yield the same delicious results.
- Al Dente Perfection: Cook your bow tie pasta until it is al dente – meaning “to the tooth.” It should be firm but still have a slight bite to it, not mushy. It will continue to cook slightly when combined with the hot sauce.
- Don’t Overcook the Broccoli: Add the broccoli florets to the pan and steam them just until they are tender-crisp and retain their vibrant green color. Overcooked broccoli becomes dull and soft, losing its appealing texture and nutritional value.
- Embrace Versatility: This recipe is wonderfully forgiving and adaptable. Consider the provided measurements as a guide. Feel free to adjust quantities based on your preference – add more sun-dried tomatoes for extra zest, increase the red pepper flakes for more heat, or incorporate additional vegetables like spinach or bell peppers.
- Sauce Absorption: Once the pasta and sauce are combined, give it a good toss. Allow the pasta a minute or two to absorb some of the savory juices. This helps to marry the flavors and create a truly cohesive dish.
- Leftovers Love: This pasta dish makes fantastic leftovers! Store any remaining portions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of chicken broth or water to rehydrate the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Delicious Pasta Dish
“Tuscan Chicken” typically refers to chicken prepared with a rich, creamy sauce featuring sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and garlic, often with Parmesan cheese. While our recipe is not creamy, it captures the essence of Tuscan flavors through the robust combination of sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, aromatic garlic, and olive oil. These core components—tomatoes, basil, and garlic—are central to many traditional Tuscan dishes, making this pasta a bright, lighter interpretation of those beloved regional tastes.
Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have had most of their water content removed through drying in the sun, or sometimes in dehydrators. This process intensifies their natural sweetness and concentrates their rich, umami flavor, giving them a chewy texture and a deep red hue. They are available either completely dry (often requiring rehydration) or packed in oil, which adds moisture and a wonderful flavor infusion to the dish. For this recipe, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are ideal for their convenience and flavor contribution.
Ensuring chicken is fully cooked is crucial for food safety and taste. When cooked through, chicken pieces will be opaque white throughout and firm to the touch. There should be no pink visible in the center. The most reliable method is to use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken; it should register 165°F (74°C). Cooking until just done ensures juicy, tender chicken without drying it out.
Absolutely! While bow tie pasta (farfalle) is charming and great for catching the sauce, this recipe is highly adaptable. Penne, rigatoni, rotini, or even a long pasta like fettuccine or linguine would work beautifully. Choose your favorite shape that holds sauce well!
If you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can easily substitute the white wine or vermouth with an equal amount of chicken broth or even a splash of lemon juice mixed with chicken broth. These alternatives will still contribute to the sauce’s depth and brightness without the alcohol.
More Easy Dinner Inspirations You’ll Love
If you’ve fallen in love with the simplicity and flavor of this chicken and broccoli pasta, then you’re in for a treat! We have a curated collection of equally delightful and straightforward dinner recipes perfect for any occasion. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your dinner board or meal planning Pinterest board, and follow my Meat, BBQ and Entree board for a continuous stream of culinary inspiration! This chicken with broccoli dish truly ranks high on our list of favorites, and we’re sure it will on yours too.
- 25 Easy Dinner Recipes from Real Housemoms – A treasure trove of quick meal ideas.
- Chicken Crescent Squares from Life Currents – A comforting and easy bake.
- Chicken with Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes – Another fantastic sun-dried tomato creation.
- Penne alla Vodka – A creamy, classic pasta indulgence.
- Easy Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches – Flavorful and hearty for a casual meal.
- Easy Black Bean Chili – A warming and satisfying vegetarian option.
- Spicy Shrimp Fajitas – Quick, vibrant, and full of zest.
- Explore more of my Favorite Entree Recipes for endless meal inspiration.
This beloved family entree was initially published in August 2012. The recipe’s text and accompanying photographs were comprehensively updated in 2019 to enhance clarity and visual appeal, ensuring an even better cooking experience for our readers.
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Chicken with Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bow Tie Pasta
20 minutes
20 minutes
40 minutes
4 servings
An easy, flavorful, and quick recipe that’s a perfect main course any day of the week, especially for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 8 + ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes or strips
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ cup sun-dried tomato halves*, cut into strips (or use julienned sun-dried tomatoes for quicker prep)
- ¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 heads of fresh broccoli, stems removed and cut into florets
- Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and toss immediately with butter. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the cubed chicken, minced garlic, dried basil, crushed red pepper flakes (to taste), and seasoning salt to the hot pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is nearly cooked through and lightly browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine or vermouth and allow it to simmer and reduce slightly, deglazing the pan. Then, add the chicken broth and broccoli florets. Cover the pan and let it steam for 3-4 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender-crisp and still vibrant green. Stir gently.
- Add the cooked and buttered bow tie pasta to the skillet with the chicken and broccoli mixture. Toss everything together thoroughly, ensuring the pasta is well coated with the flavorful juices.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy your delicious weeknight meal!
Notes
This recipe is incredibly versatile; feel free to adjust the amounts of any ingredients to perfectly suit your palate. Love more sun-dried tomatoes? Add them in! Prefer extra spice? Amp up the red pepper flakes.
A crucial tip for all pasta dishes: always cook your pasta in generously salted water. The water should taste distinctly briny, like seawater. This allows the salt to infuse into the pasta as it cooks, seasoning it from the inside out and dramatically enhancing the final flavor. Salting after the pasta is cooked will not achieve the same delicious depth.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 367Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 31g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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