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Let this smooth cream cheese pasta transport you to Southern Italy with the rich flavours of sun-dried tomatoes and pancetta. It’s a satisfying pasta dish that will take you just 30 minutes to prepare!
Add a side of our Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce and Burrata to make the most of your Mediterranean journey.
So many ingredients of this creamy pasta recipe evoke memories of family holidays in Southern Europe. Pasta, tomatoes, garlic, basil, Parmesan! Eating and discovering new foods is one of our favourite things to do.
Interestingly, sun-dried tomatoes are traditionally dried on the ceramic rooftops of homes. The dehydration process is what gives them their sweet intensity. So you don’t need much to pack a flavoursome punch.
However, there’s no need to dry your own! This is an affiliate link.Sun-dried tomatoes are readily available in jars, or as a This is an affiliate link.pesto, from most supermarkets. This is the ingredient that is going to elevate your usual chicken pasta recipe.
Cream Cheese Pasta Sauce
The secret to the simplicity of this recipe is the cream cheese. Rather than slaving over a cheese sauce made from scratch, make things easy on yourself and stir in a store-bought pack. No lumps, just smoothness and silkiness, guaranteed.
The cream cheese sauce has a luxurious texture that is easy to love. Like so may classic pasta sauces, it can be the basis for endless variations. For mine, I’ve added sun-dried tomatoes for tangy sweetness that I think complements the creamy sauce perfectly.
You can serve it with any sauce-catching pasta, such as; This is an affiliate link.penne, fusilli or This is an affiliate link.macaroni. If you only have a long thin pasta, like spaghetti or linguine, just go for it!
Chicken Pasta
Depending on your family’s diet, this creamy pasta recipe can be either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. I usually include chicken as it’s an affordable source of protein and a family favourite. But feel free to leave it out entirely.
I use chicken breast sliced into bite-sized chunks. This way the chicken can be distributed evenly throughout the pasta and you get a combination of pasta, sauce and chicken in every forkful.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Any pasta shape can be used in this recipe. I’ve used This is an affiliate link.macaroni as I like the way it catches the sauce. Tubey shapes tend to work best for this, making every mouthful a creamy delight.
- Pancetta will make the dish all the more authentic as it also originates from Italy. If it’s unavailable to you, or you just prefer it, use bacon instead. Bacon will give the dish a smokiness. For a lighter dish, you can leave them both out.
- The same goes for chicken. It’s your dish, so it’s up to you!
- Or perhaps you want to add to the sauce! Veggies like broccoli, spinach or even zucchini are a great way to add some fibre.
- I’ve specified full-fat cream cheese because low fat varieties tend to split. Full-fat also means that this is an incredibly creamy pasta dish, so you won’t regret the extra calories!
- This is an affiliate link.Sun-dried tomatoes are as important as cream cheese in this creamy sauce. They are sold in many forms, so just use what you can find.
- Finally, don’t drain off all the cooking water from the pasta! Reserve about a cupful to stir into your sauce. The starch in pasta cooking water is the best way to adjust the thickness of the sauce while adding creaminess at the same time.
Serving suggestions
With pasta and protein combined in this creamy pasta dish, there’s nothing else that’s essential for making this a complete dinner.
But if you are in the mood for something on the side, I would suggest a lovely and fresh Garden Salad. Or go the extra mile with hot Garlic Bread!
Storage and Leftovers
We all cook too much pasta sometimes! The best way to store any leftover pasta and sauce is to add to an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and put in the fridge. It’ll lose its al dente texture but the taste will still be there!
With or without chicken, make sure you’ve used it up within 2-3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and cook covered in the oven, or on the hob over a medium heat.
Favourite Creamy Pasta Recipes to Try
- 5 Minute Ravioli Sauce (for store bought ravioli)
- Easy Carbonara (the authentic version)
- Bake Penne alla Vodka with Meatballs
- Vegan Alfredo Pasta Sauce (dairy free)
Tomato Cream Cheese Pasta with Chicken and Pancetta
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Our Place Always Pan
Ingredients
- 160g / 6oz smoked pancetta or bacon
- 450g / 1 lb chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- salt
- 130g / 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato paste or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 4-5 basil leaves or 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 200g / 7oz cream cheese, full fat
- 450g / 1lb pasta
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Start cooking the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, cook the pancetta in a large pan until the fat has rendered, remove from the pan and set aside till need. To the same pan add the seasoned with salt chicken breast chunks and brown on both sides until golden and cooked all the way through, which should take 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your pieces.
- Lower the heat and bring the bacon back to the pan and add the sun-dried tomato paste, sliced basil leaves or dried basil and minced garlic, cook while stirring for a couple of minutes, then add a couple of ladelfuls of the pasta water directly from the pot, let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then stir in the cream cheese and let it melt over low heat.
- Drain the pasta once it’s cooked and reserve 125ml / 1⁄2 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta directly to the pan, toss to coat and season with salt to taste. Add a splash of pasta water if the pasta is a bit dry. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Tubed pasta shapes work best for this recipe because they carry more of the sauce with them, but any shape can be used.
- Pancetta is more authentically Italian, but bacon is a good substitute if you can’t find it, and will add more smokiness to the pasta.
- For a lighter dish, the pancetta can be left out. Or even the chicken!
- If you want to add to the sauce, vegetables like spinach, broccoli or zucchini/courgette will all taste great, plus adding fibre.
- Full-fat cream cheese should be used because low-fat varieties tend to split when cooked. Full-fat cream cheese will also make this a much creamier dish.
- The sun-dried tomatoes are important for adding flavour to the sauce. There are lots of different varieties that are sold, but it doesn’t really matter which one you use.
- Be sure to keep a cupful of pasta water aside to stir into the sauce. Pasta water is the best way to adjust the thickness of the sauce, with the starch adding creaminess.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It looks really good! If I want to add veggies without the chicken, at what point would I add in the veggies?
Thanks
It really depends on the type of vegetable you add. If it’s something like red peppers or zucchini, I would saute them first in the same step as chicken but if it’s something hardy like broccoli or cauliflower I would just chuck them raw and let them cook in the sauce before I add the pasta.