Spinach-And-Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe

Spinach-And-Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

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Use leftover roasted chicken or a rotisserie chicken for this easy pasta dinner with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

Anna Theoktisto

Published on January 18, 2024

Recipe tested by

Southern Living Test Kitchen

Southern Living Spinach-And-Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta on a plate to serve — Photo:
Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Servings:

6 to 8

This pasta dinner is studded with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, bright green spinach, and chunks of juicy roast chicken. The base of the sauce starts by using some of the sun-dried tomato oil—it adds both a pretty red color and a nice savory flavor to the dish. (Plus, it means a little less food waste!) Any leftover oil can be saved and used to make a vinaigrette, or drizzled over grilled chicken.

Be sure to use a stockpot or a large Dutch oven for this spinach-and-sun-dried-tomato pasta recipe—it makes a very large quantity, and you need a big enough vessel with tall sides to toss everything together without making a mess.

Our favorite part about this recipe is how we cooked and incorporated the spinach. The heat of the pasta water and noodles poured over the spinach in a colander is just enough to wilt it without becoming overcooked, ensuring vibrant leaves throughout the dish.

How To Roast Garlic

If you're not starting with leftover roasted garlic, it's easy to make for this recipe.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Trim top of garlic head so that tops of cloves are exposed. Place on a large piece of aluminum foil; drizzle with 2-3 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt; wrap garlic in foil and seal tightly. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until garlic is soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; open foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze garlic cloves from heads into a small bowl.

Ingredients

5 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes plus 1 Tbsp, oil from jar
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tsp. sliced garlic
2 Tbsp. leftover roasted garlic from Roasted Lemon-Pepper Chicken
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
2 cups leftover shredded Roasted Lemon-Pepper Chicken or rotisserie chicken

Directions

Cook pasta and wilt spinach:

Place chopped fresh spinach in a colander in sink. Cook penne pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water; drain pasta over spinach. Set aside.
Cook tomatoes and onion:

Heat sun-dried tomato oil in stockpot over medium-high. Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes and chopped yellow onion; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add sliced garlic, leftover roasted garlic, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute.
Finish sauce:

Add heavy whipping cream; cook until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.
Combine ingredients:

Stir in pasta, spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and shredded Roasted Lemon-Pepper Chicken. Stir to combine; add reserved pasta water gradually until pasta is saucy.
Season and serve:

Season to taste with kosher salt; serve with additional Parmesan.

Spinach-And-Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

How To Roast Garlic

Ingredients

Directions

Cook pasta and wilt spinach:

Cook tomatoes and onion:

Finish sauce:

Combine ingredients:

Season and serve:

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