Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Rotini Pasta

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

Strips of chicken in a creamy tomato sauce with peas are quick and delicious

This easy pasta turned out to be a quick and easy two-pot meal, and reheated well for lunches the next day

One of my best friends, who is moving to Vancouver from Edmonton this week (yay!), sent my husband and I to dinner at Vancouver’s Section (3) for my recent birthday.

My parents were visiting at the time so the four of us ventured the two blocks to the busy Yaletown restaurant. A dish my dad had – the chicken penne with sun-dried tomatoes – inspired this recipe.

It’s been a while since I’ve cooked with sun-dried tomatoes and with the combination of creamy pasta and tender chicken, it was too good not to try myself.

Marriage is often about compromise so that’s just what I did when making this meal. My husband likes white pasta and I like whole wheat pasta so I used Catelli Smart Pasta, “delicious white pasta with the fibre benefit of whole wheat.”

A crisp white wine is the perfect accompaniment to this meal and the Sauv Blanc from New Zealand’s Flying Kiwi winery is still one of my favourites.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 box rotini pasta

Instructions

1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Add crushed tomatoes and alfredo sauce, cover and bring to boil.
4. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, cook pasta according to package instructions.
5. Add chicken and sun-dried tomatoes to large saucepan, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in centre.
6. Add peas to chicken mixture, cover and cook for about 1 minute.
7. Serve sauce over pasta.