This one pot creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta combines chicken breast, spinach, mushrooms and pasta in a high-protein sauce made with silken tofu (don't knock it until you combine it!). It takes 30 minutes to make and holds up well in the fridge, making it an easy dinner that can double as lunches for the week.
Believe it or not, this creamy pasta sauce is made from silken tofu. Now, do not knock it before you try it by saying, "Ew, tofu is gross," because it definitely is not when you know how to use it.
Silken tofu is mild and blends down into a smooth sauce, so you do not end up with visible pieces or an obvious tofu flavour. It gives a creamy consistency without relying on heavy creams - I do this in my pesto orzo pasta salad too.
If you're still a sceptic, I have also included substitutions if you genuinely cannot get your head around the tofu thing. Greek yogurt creates a creamy sauce similar to the one I use in my creamy beef stroganoff,
TL;DR
- Servings: 5
- Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes
- Meal prep: This is a balanced pasta meal prep with protein from chicken breast and silken tofu, carbohydrates from pasta and vegetables from spinach, mushrooms, onion
- Fridge storage: 4 days
- Freezer storage: 6 months (cook pasta for half the time)
- Reheating: Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or chicken stock.
- Customise: Swap the chicken breast for chicken thigh, change the vegetables, adjust the chilli or replace the silken tofu with Greek yogurt or cooking cream.
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Why you'll love this recipe
High-protein. Chicken breast and silken tofu make this a higher-protein chicken meal prep that is filling enough for lunch.
Sundried tomatoes. This is one of those ingredients I will order whenever I see it, which is why it also appears in my Marry me chicken orzo.
Meal prep friendly. The thick sauce, coated chicken and sturdy pasta retain their texture when stored and reheated.
Ingredients
Chicken breast. Chicken breast can become dry in meal prep, but the cornflour coating and creamy sauce help it stay moist after cooking and reheating.
Pasta. Choose a sturdy pasta such as fusilli, penne or rigatoni because these shapes hold the sauce well and are less likely to break after reheating.
Sun-dried tomatoes. Use sundried tomatoes packed in oil because the seasoned oil can cook the chicken and vegetables while the tomatoes add concentrated flavour to the sauce.
Chicken stock. Chicken stock thins the blended tofu and provides more flavour than water while creating enough liquid to cook the pasta in the same pan.
Silken tofu. Silken tofu blends into a smooth, mild sauce that adds creaminess and protein without visible pieces or an obvious tofu flavour.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Why silken tofu makes a better pasta sauce than cream
Silken tofu has a much softer and smoother texture than firm tofu. Once blended, it breaks down completely and creates the base of a cream sauce rather than leaving pieces of tofu throughout the pasta.
Its flavour is also mild enough to take on the stronger flavours around it. In this recipe, the garlic, sundried tomatoes, onion, chilli and chicken stock provide the flavour while the tofu adds body and protein.
Substitutions and variations
Silken tofu. Swap it for Greek yogurt or cooking cream if preferred. Milk can also be used, but the sauce will be thinner and may need longer to reduce.
Chicken thigh. Boneless chicken thigh can replace chicken breast and will remain tender after reheating, although it may release more fat into the sauce.
Vegetarian. Omit the chicken (and chicken stock for vegetarian) and add chickpeas, cannellini beans or pieces of firm tofu. The silken tofu provides some protein, but adding another protein source makes the meal more substantial.
Other vegetables. Zucchini, capsicum, broccoli, peas, asparagus or kale all work. Cook firm vegetables with the mushrooms and add quick-cooking vegetables near the end.
How to make sundried tomato chicken pasta
Add diced chicken and cornflour into a large bowl, stirring or tossing to coat. The cornflour helps to tenderise the chicken and also assists in thickening the sauce when heating. Leave for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into a pan over medium-high heat and add diced onions and garlic. Cook until fragrant, approximately 3 minutes. While optional, cooking the onions and garlic now allows for slight caramelization, which enhances the flavour of the high protein sauce for pasta with chicken. Remove and set aside with the sauce ingredients.
Add silken tofu, cooked onion & garlic, half the sundried tomatoes and red chilli flakes into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into the pan and add chicken pieces. Cook until the outside has turned white (it doesn't have to cook through at this stage). Set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add mushrooms to saute for approx. 3 minutes or until decreased in size and releasing some of the moisture. Add chicken back in.
Add stock, sundried tomatoes, sauce and pasta to the pan. Allow the sauce to come to the boil and then decrease the heat to low-medium. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dante. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Note: if freezing, do this for only 5 minutes.
Add spinach to the mixture and stir until spinach is wilted. If the pot is quite full with the sundried tomato pasta ingredients, pop the lid on for a couple of minutes as this will help the spinach wilt.
Serve the creamy sun dried tomato and spinach pasta with chicken with fresh parmesan and chilli flakes if desired.
Lauren's Top Tips
Use the sundried tomato oil. Cook the onion and chicken in oil from the jar because it already contains concentrated tomato flavour.
Watch the liquid level. Different pasta shapes absorb liquid at different rates, so add a splash of stock or water if the sauce reduces before the pasta is cooked.
Recommended Equipment
You will need a blender, food processor or stick blender to turn the silken tofu, garlic and sundried tomatoes into a smooth cream sauce.
If you're meal prepping this, I recommend glass meal prep containers because the sauce is a pale red which can stain plastic containers. If you have to use plastic, avoid reheating in it as it can make the staining worse.
Meal prepping chicken with sundried tomato
This creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta is a practical meal prep because it combines protein from chicken breast and silken tofu, carbohydrates from pasta and vegetables from spinach, mushrooms, onion in one meal.
Storing
Transfer the pasta into shallow, airtight containers after cooking. Allow it to stop steaming heavily before securing the lids, but do not leave the cooked chicken pasta at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
Leaving the lids slightly ajar while the food releases its initial heat allows excess steam to escape. This reduces condensation inside the container, which can create watery patches and cause the pasta to soften more quickly.
It'll keep in the fridge for up to about 4 days.
Note that the sundried tomato, garlic and chilli flavours also settle into the sauce after refrigeration. The pasta will absorb some liquid, but the sauce has enough body to loosen again when reheated with a small amount of water or chicken stock.
Lauren's Meal Prep Tip
Divide the pasta into containers while the sauce is still slightly loose rather than waiting for it to cool completely in the pan. This distributes the sauce evenly and prevents the final portion from being mostly dry pasta.
Reheating
Add one or two tablespoons of water or chicken stock immediately before reheating. The extra liquid will combine with the thickened sauce as it warms and return it to a creamy consistency.
Microwave on 1 minute intervals for approx. 3 minutes. Do not try to force apart or vigorously stir the pasta while it is cold. The thick sauce causes the pieces to stick together, and moving them too early can make the pasta tear or break. Once it begins to warm, it will be easier to move.
For stovetop reheating, place the pasta in a frying pan or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of chicken stock or water, cover and heat for approximately 5-7 minutes, stirring once the sauce begins to loosen.
Freezing
Freeze the cooled pasta in airtight containers or 2 cup souper cubes as pictured above for up to 6 months. For the best texture, cook the pasta for approximately half the packet time which will help prevent it from becoming mushy when stored and then reheated.
I often recommend freezing pasta separately from the sauce or storing it above wetter ingredients. With this recipe, I have found that using a sturdy pasta shape (like the rigatoni pictured, or even fusilli or penne) and reducing the cooking time by half results in very little texture change when the whole meal is frozen together - the one pictured above was stored for about 3 months before eating it and it tasted the same as when I first cooked it.
Where possible, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating per the above.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
The pasta continues absorbing the cream sauce after it has been cooked, which makes refrigerated portions appear drier. Add one or two tablespoons of water or chicken stock before reheating and stir once the sauce has warmed and loosened.
Coat the diced chicken breast evenly in cornflour and avoid cooking it through completely before adding the sauce. The chicken finishes cooking in the sauce, while the light coating helps it retain moisture during storage and reheating.
Other chicken pasta recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken pasta meal preps for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta (with Spinach)
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Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast, approx.3 breasts
- 2 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 brown onion
- 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms
- 250 g (3 cups) spinach, fresh
- 350 g (12 oz) (~3.5 cups) pasta, of choice
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
Sauce
- 300 g (11 oz) silken tofu, subs note 1
- 6 cloves garlic
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, in oil
- 2 cups chicken stock, subs note 2, store bought or homemade
- 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes, optional, adjust to preferences
Instructions
Prepare
- Dice 500 g (1 lb) chicken breastinto approx. 1inch pieces. Place in a bowl with 2 tbsp cornflour, stir and toss to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes
- Slice: 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms; Dice: 1 brown onion
- Add 300 g (11 oz) silken tofu, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tsp red chilli flakes, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Cook
- Add a small amount of the sundried tomato oil to a pan over medium-high heat and saute onion for 2 minutes.
- Add more oil if needed then add 500 g (1 lb) chicken breast. Cook until the outside has mostly turned white (approx. 2 minutes each side).
- Add 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms and saute for approx. 3 minutes or until decreased in size and slightly browned.
- Add 2 cups chicken stock and the sauce to the pan. Mix to combine. Allow the sauce to come to the boil (approx. 5 minutes). Decrease heat to medium-low.
- Add 350 g (12 oz) (~3.5 cups) pasta so it's covered by the liquid. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dante. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Add 250 g (3 cups) spinach and ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes to the mixture and stir until spinach is wilted.
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