Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Bow Tie Pasta is more than just a speedy weeknight meal; it’s a guaranteed family favorite that consistently delivers on flavor and convenience. This dish masterfully combines tender chicken, vibrant broccoli, and the irresistible tang of sun-dried tomatoes with perfectly cooked bow tie pasta, all brought together in a light yet satisfying sauce.
In the quest for quick, flavorful, and reliable dinner ideas, this Easy Pasta Dinner Recipe stands out as an absolute winner. It’s the kind of meal that comes to mind when inspiration runs low, and you need something effortlessly delicious. For many, including our household, it’s the go-to answer for “What should we have for dinner?” — a testament to its widespread appeal and undeniable charm.
Why This Chicken and Bow Tie Pasta Recipe is a Must-Try
Life moves fast, especially with busy schedules, school commitments, or preparing for college. Quick and easy dinners aren’t just a luxury; they’re a necessity. This beloved recipe for Chicken with Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Bow Tie Pasta has graced dinner tables for nearly two decades, evolving slightly from its original inception during a talk show cooking segment. It’s a dish that adapts, satisfies, and consistently earns rave reviews.
- **Unanimously Delicious:** This recipe consistently ranks as one of our Best Pasta Recipes. Its rich, savory notes and comforting texture make it a household champion, frequently requested and always enjoyed.
- **Effortless & Fast:** Achieve a complete, gourmet-tasting meal in about 30 minutes, making it ideal for those hectic weeknights when time is a precious commodity. Spend less time cooking and more time enjoying.
- **Explosive Flavor Profile:** The sun-dried tomatoes are the star here, infusing the dish with an unparalleled sweet and tangy depth. Paired with aromatic garlic and fresh basil, they elevate simple ingredients into an extraordinary culinary experience.
- **Simple Ingredients, Big Impact:** Despite its sophisticated taste, this dish relies on readily available ingredients, proving that extraordinary meals don’t require exotic components or complex techniques.
In today’s fast-paced world, meals that can be prepared and served within 30 minutes are invaluable. This easy chicken pasta recipe not only meets this demand but exceeds expectations in flavor. All it needs is a warm loaf of crusty bread to complete a perfectly balanced and utterly satisfying meal. Continue exploring for more of our favorite fuss-free dinner recipes!
Essential Ingredients for a Flavorful Dish
Crafting this delightful pasta dish starts with selecting quality ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in building the robust and harmonious flavors that make this recipe a consistent favorite. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why:
- Pantry Staples: A good foundation includes essential items like butter for richness, high-quality olive oil for sautéing and flavor, dried basil for its classic Italian aroma, and seasoning salt to enhance all the flavors. These basics ensure your pantry is always ready for a quick and delicious meal.
- Bow Tie Pasta (Farfalle): The whimsical shape of bow tie pasta not only adds visual appeal but also holds the sauce beautifully. Brands like DeCecco or Barilla are recommended for their consistent quality and perfect al dente texture. Its hearty form ensures it stands up well to the other ingredients without becoming mushy.
- Boneless Chicken Breasts: Opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which are lean, quick to cook, and easy to prepare. Cutting them into uniform cubes or strips ensures even cooking, contributing to a tender and juicy result every time.
- Garlic Cloves: Freshly minced garlic is non-negotiable for its pungent aroma and depth of flavor. It forms the aromatic backbone of the sauce, complementing the sun-dried tomatoes and basil beautifully.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: For a subtle kick that awakens the palate, crushed red pepper flakes are key. The amount can be easily adjusted to suit your preferred level of spice, from a gentle warmth to a more pronounced heat.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: These intensely flavorful tomatoes, typically packed in oil, are the heart of this dish. Their concentrated sweetness and slight chewiness add a burst of Mediterranean essence. For quicker preparation, choose julienned sun-dried tomatoes, or simply slice the halves into strips.
- White Wine or Vermouth: A splash of dry white wine or vermouth acts as a crucial flavor enhancer. The alcohol quickly evaporates during cooking, leaving behind a complex depth that beautifully marries all the ingredients. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, extra chicken broth can be used, though the flavor profile will be slightly different.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth adds moisture and richness to the sauce, helping to create a cohesive and savory base. Using a good quality, not overly salty brand like Pacific can make a significant difference in the final taste of your dish.
- Fresh Broccoli: Crisp, bright green broccoli florets provide a welcome texture contrast and a nutritious boost. Remove the tough stems and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces to ensure they cook quickly and evenly, retaining their vibrant color and slight crunch.
Step-by-Step: Crafting Your Delicious Pasta
Creating this satisfying chicken and pasta dish is a straightforward process, designed for efficiency without compromising on taste. Follow these simple steps to bring a delightful meal to your table in no time.
Pro Tips for Perfect Pasta Every Time
While this recipe is inherently simple, a few strategic tips can elevate your dish from good to absolutely outstanding. Pay attention to these details for a truly memorable meal:
- PRO-Tip: Master Your Timing: To streamline your cooking process, start preparing your chicken and cutting your broccoli while the pasta water comes to a boil. This multitasking approach ensures that all components finish around the same time, allowing for seamless assembly.
- PRO-Tip: Uniform Chicken Pieces: Consistency is key for even cooking. Cut your boneless chicken breasts into similar-sized cubes or strips. This ensures that every piece cooks through at the same rate, preventing some from being overcooked while others are still raw.
- Synchronized Sautéing: Don’t just cook the pasta and chicken separately. While the pasta is bubbling away, you can simultaneously sauté the chicken with the garlic, seasonings, and sun-dried tomatoes. This not only saves time but also allows the flavors to develop in parallel, ready for combining.
- Embrace Versatility: This recipe is incredibly forgiving and adaptable. Think of the measurements as a guide rather than strict rules. Feel free to use the entire box of pasta if you desire a heartier dish, add more or less broccoli for personal preference, or amp up the crushed red pepper flakes for an extra kick. You are the chef, and this recipe encourages creative tweaking to suit your palate.
- Family-Approved, Effortlessly Made: This Easy Chicken with Broccoli is a consistent hit in our family, especially with my husband and youngest. The best part? They don’t need to know how incredibly simple it is to prepare!
- PRO-Tip: Salt Your Pasta Water Generously: This is arguably the most crucial tip for delicious pasta. Always cook your pasta in well-salted water – it should taste as briny as the ocean. The pasta absorbs this salt as it cooks, infusing it with flavor from the inside out. Salting pasta after it’s cooked simply won’t achieve the same depth of taste.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: When sautéing the chicken, avoid overcrowding your skillet. Cook the chicken in batches if necessary to ensure it browns properly and cooks evenly. An overcrowded pan will steam the chicken instead of searing it, resulting in a less flavorful and less appealing texture.
- Al Dente Perfection: Cook your pasta to al dente, meaning it should be firm to the bite. It will continue to cook slightly when combined with the hot sauce, so taking it off the heat just before it’s fully tender will ensure it remains perfectly textured and not mushy.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Dish
To help you master this delicious recipe, here are answers to some common questions that arise when preparing chicken and pasta dishes:
Tuscan chicken typically refers to a chicken dish featuring a rich, flavorful sauce characteristic of Tuscan cuisine. This sauce is often made with a base of tomatoes, fragrant basil, pungent garlic, robust olive oil, and a touch of salt. When this sauce is paired with chicken, it creates a dish known as Tuscan chicken. Interestingly, all the vibrant and fresh sauce ingredients utilized in this particular pasta recipe directly align with these classic Tuscan flavors, giving our dish a delightful Mediterranean essence.
As their name suggests, sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have had most of their water content removed by drying them under the sun. While traditional sun-drying methods are still used, modern techniques also employ dehydrators to achieve similar results. This drying process concentrates their natural sugars and flavors, resulting in intensely sweet, slightly tangy, and wonderfully chewy deep-red tomatoes. They are often sold either completely dry, requiring rehydration before use, or packed in oil, which keeps them soft and ready to use while infusing them with additional savory notes. Their rich umami and sweetness add an incredible depth to any dish, particularly this pasta recipe.
Ensuring chicken is thoroughly cooked is essential for food safety and optimal taste. Visually, when chicken is fully cooked, it will appear opaque or white all the way through when you cut into it. There should be no raw or pink areas visible in the middle. For the most accurate and reliable method, use an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken (avoiding bone), and it should register an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to be considered safely cooked. This ensures juicy, tender chicken every time.
Explore More Easy Dinner Inspiration
If you’ve fallen in love with the simplicity and flavor of this Chicken with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Bow Tie Pasta, then you’re in for a treat! This recipe is a strong contender for the top spot on any weeknight meal plan, but there are countless other delicious and easy options waiting to be discovered. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to your dinner board or meal planning Pinterest board so you can easily find it later. For even more culinary ideas, make sure to follow my Meat, BBQ and Entree board for a continuous stream of inspiration! What’s your personal favorite easy, go-to dinner recipe? This chicken with broccoli dish certainly rates high on my list!
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- More of my Favorite Entree Recipes
This beloved family favorite entree was originally shared in August 2012. The text and photos have been thoughtfully updated in 2019 to provide an even better user experience and refreshed content. We strive to keep our classic recipes current and engaging for all 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 delicious recipe that’s a perfect entree any day of the week!
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 white wine or vermouth
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 heads of broccoli, stems removed and cut into florets
- Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water, drain, and toss with butter.
- While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large saucepan.
- Add chicken, garlic, seasonings, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until chicken is nearly cooked through and lightly browned.
- Add wine and allow to reduce slightly. Add chicken broth, then broccoli florets. Cover and let steam for 3-4 minutes, stir, then cook till broccoli is tender, but still bright green.
- Add bow ties and toss so that juices coat the pasta.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
This recipe is very versatile. Add more or less of any ingredients depending on your palate.
Make sure to cook the pasta in well-salted water. It should taste like seawater. The salt will infuse into the pasta as it cooks, enhancing its flavor. Salting after the pasta cooks won’t have the same results.
Recommended Products
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- OXO Cutting Board
- Nonstick Saute Pan with Lid
- Garlic Press
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.
Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results.
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