Description

Creamy Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken is a rich and flavorful dish combining tender rigatoni pasta with a savory sauce made from tomato sauce, pesto, and light cream. Succulent diced chicken is seasoned and seared to perfection and mixed with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, and topped with creamy burrata cheese for an indulgent finish. This dinner recipe balances vibrant flavors and creamy textures for a hearty and comforting meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta and Protein

1 lb rigatoni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast diced

Seasonings

1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sauce and Vegetables

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz pesto
1/3 cup light cream
1 cup roasted red peppers chopped
2 cups fresh spinach

Cheese

2 balls burrata 4 ounces each

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Instructions

Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve some pasta cooking water for later use if needed.
Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced chicken breast and sear for 2-3 minutes until starting to brown.
Season Chicken: Sprinkle Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper over the chicken. Toss well and continue to sear for an additional 2 minutes to fully develop flavor.
Sauté Garlic and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to release aromas and soften the ingredients.
Add Sauces and Cream: Pour in tomato sauce, pesto, and light cream. Stir to combine all ingredients thoroughly and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
Add Vegetables: Stir in chopped roasted red peppers and fresh spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted, about 2-3 minutes, folding the vegetables into the sauce for even coating.
Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the drained rigatoni to the pan. Toss gently until the pasta is evenly coated with the creamy tomato pesto sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce.
Serve and Garnish: Plate the pasta and top each serving with half a ball of burrata cheese. Serve immediately for the best creamy texture.

Notes

Reserve pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency if it becomes too thick.
You can substitute light cream with half-and-half or full cream for richer flavor.
Use sun-dried tomato oil instead of olive oil for enhanced tomato flavor when cooking chicken.
For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and add more vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini.
Fresh burrata can be replaced with fresh mozzarella if unavailable.
Adjust red pepper flakes to control spiciness according to taste.