This pasta dish brings together some brilliant Mediterranean flavours in one pan, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner when you want something a bit more interesting than the usual. The sun-dried tomatoes provide most of the flavour here, adding a lovely depth that you just can’t get from fresh ones. Using the oil from the jar is key too – it’s packed with flavour as well and gives the chicken a proper good sear.
Cooking the pasta directly in the chicken stock means it soaks up all that flavour as it cooks, rather than just sitting in plain water. The stock reduces down to create a light sauce that coats everything nicely without being too heavy. You’ll want to keep an eye on it and give it the odd stir to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
The feta and fresh herbs go on at the end, which keeps them bright and stops the cheese from completely melting away. Walnuts might seem like an odd addition, but they add a lovely crunch that works really well with the soft pasta and tender chicken. If you’re not keen on walnuts, pine nuts would work just as well.
The whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes, and most of that is just letting it simmer away while you get on with other things. The flavours are quite robust – the chilli gives it a gentle warmth without being overwhelming, and the basil ties everything together nicely.
You can easily adjust this to suit what you have in the cupboard. Different pasta shapes work fine, and if you can’t get orecchiette, anything short and chunky will do the job. The key is having those sun-dried tomatoes and their oil – they really make the dish.
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta with Feta and Walnuts
Ingredients
- 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped, plus 2 tbsp oil from the jar
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 200g orecchiette pasta (or any short pasta)
- 600ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 100g feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 50g walnuts, roughly chopped
Directions
- Heat the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large, deep frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the chopped red onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and red chilli, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and dried basil, cooking for 2 minutes to release the flavours.
- Add the pasta and chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan and half of the fresh parsley.
- Serve immediately, topped with crumbled feta cheese, remaining parsley, fresh dill, and chopped walnuts.
