Shhhhhhh … Don’t tell anyone how easy it is to make this crowd-pleasing, almost-gourmet Creamy Chicken Pasta In White Sauce With Garlic & Sun Dried Tomatoes. Minimal prep is needed to create this restaurant-quality dinner. Basic ingredients do the heavy-lifting to create amazing flavors and textures your family will love.
Why I Love This
This Italian pasta dish is one of my favorite camping dinner recipes because it uses a combination of basic ingredients to develop the most amazing silky-smooth, richly-creamy decadent sauce. You get wonderful layers of flavor from a variety of simple ingredients that make this recipe really stand out.
One of the most important things to do when making almost-gourmet camping meals is to do all of the prep work before you start cooking. For this recipe you’ll only need to chop some garlic and sun dried tomatoes to make the sauce.
No need to cook the chicken because I’m using pre-cooked, pre-sliced grilled chicken breast meat. You’ll be using one pot to boil the pasta and another pan for cooking the sauce. The great thing here is that you can use a propane camp stove, RV stovetop or campfire.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
You don’t have a long list because we’re using basic ingredients that have a ton of flavor. The key ingredients include:
- Heavy cream
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Garlic
Heavy cream: There is no substitute for heavy cream in this recipe. The high fat content is what gives the sauce the creamy texture that clings to the pasta. You can find it in any grocery store. It may be called “heavy cream” or “heavy whipping cream”, they are the same thing. On the other hand, “whipping cream” is not the same thing. Whipping cream has a lower fat content, you may also see it called “light whipping cream”, the name reflects the reduced fat in the product.
Sun dried tomatoes: There is an enormous amount of flavor that comes from sundried tomatoes packed in oil. They have a mild sweetness that is essential in this sauce. Give them a rough chop for a comfortable-sized bite. You can substitute dehydrated sun dried tomatoes. The proper method to rehydrate them is to microwave them in liquid for about 2 minutes, then drain them and toss in a little olive before using in the recipe.
Garlic: The overpowering flavor of raw garlic is transformed into a delicately mild taste. The earthiness and subtle sweetness comes out in the sautéing process. You can use already-minced garlic in a jar here. The ratio is 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic for every clove of fresh garlic.
Key Equipment
- Saucepan or skillet
- Large pot
- Strainer
Saucepan or skillet: This is the vessel needed for cooking the sauce. You can use cast iron over a campfire or non-stick on a stove.
Large pot: This pot needs to be large enough to boil the pasta. Then, you’ll use it to toss the pasta and sauce together. I serve directly out of this pot.
Strainer: Many of my pasta recipes don’t require you to boil pasta then strain it, this one is an exception. You can’t cook the pasta directly in the sauce here because it’s a cream-based sauce.
How To Make
Learn how to make this Creamy Chicken Pasta and watch my VIDEO to see the cooking process in action.
Preparation
Prepare your ingredients, cooking equipment and fuel. Plan enough fuel for 30 minutes of cooking time for two pots.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Step 2. Sauté the garlic and sundried tomatoes in the pan with the butter.
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Add the mushrooms, let the mixture cook until tender.
Step 3. Add the chicken broth, turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and allow the base of the sauce to simmer about 10 minutes.
Step 4. Add heavy cream, stir and let the mixture continue to simmer and thicken slightly.
Step 5. Add sliced grilled chicken and stir to combine.
Step 6. Cook the pasta in a separate pot while the sauce is simmering.
Step 7. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
Step 8. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss. Serve family-style. Garnish with basil or parsley and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Expert Tip
Heavy cream is a critical component in this recipe. It is made from milk fat that collects on top of non-homogenized fresh milk.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the regulating authority in the U.S., has set guidelines for what constitutes “heavy cream” and what doesn’t. Legally, heavy cream must contain 36% – 40% fat (the rest of the liquid can be milk).
Normal consumers can usually only find 36% fat heavy cream in a grocery store. You typically don’t find 40% fat heavy cream unless you go to a restaurant supplier.
Camp Cooking Tip
The next time you are grilling chicken, make a few extra pieces. Let them cool, then place them in a labeled food storage bag in the freezer. You can defrost them to make a quick dinner at the campsite. These are great for pasta recipes, burritos and salads.
Pairings
Because this dish is a little indulgent with the heavy cream, I like to serve it with a crisp side salad and a light dressing. It’s also good with my Homemade Caesar’s Salad Dressing. A nice crunchy bread or garlic bread is also a nice side option. It’s perfect for mopping up extra sauce!
FAQs
No. Heavy whipping cream (also known as heavy cream) must contain at least 36% milk fat. Whipping cream (also known as light whipping cream) must contain between 30–36% milk fat.
Flat, long noodles and pasta with pockets are best with heavy cream sauces. Those shapes endure the heaviness of meat and cream sauces. Don’t use delicate strands of long, thin noodles unless you are serving a light sauce.
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package, but begin testing a few minutes prior to the recommended time. Take out one noodle, let it cool a bit and take a bite. The pasta is done when it is tender but not mushy. It should have a slightly firm texture that is often called “toothsome” or “al dente”.
Leftovers
- Let leftovers cool, then store in an airtight container in a cooler or refrigerator. Reheat in a covered pan over low heat with a little liquid, like chicken broth or water, until heated through.
- I don’t recommend freezing cream-based sauces because they tend to separate and become grainy during the thawing and reheating process.
Servings
This recipe serves 6. If you are cooking for two or for a huge crowd, this meal (as well as most camping pasta recipes) are great because they are easy to scale. By that I mean, increasing or decreasing the number of portions is a cinch and the flavor never suffers! You can adjust the number of servings in my recipe card.
Similar Pasta Recipes
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Watch How To Make It
Recipe
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil roughly chopped
- 1 (4 oz) package fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced (see Note 1)
- 1 (12 oz) package dried bowtie pasta
- Water for boiling pasta
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese grated
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In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
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Stir in garlic, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms and sauté until tender.
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Now add chicken broth, increase to high heat, cover and bring to boil. Then, reduce heat and let simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.
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Add heavy cream to pan with sauce and simmer till slightly thickened.
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Add sliced grilled chicken to pan with sauce and simmer till chicken is heated through.
Cook The Pasta While The Sauce Is Simmering
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While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Al dente, firm is recommended.
Combine The Pasta With The Sauce
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When pasta is cooked to your desired firmness, drain it and return it to the pot.
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Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss together and serve family-style. If desired, top with basil, parsley, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
NOTE 1: Have grilled chicken breasts in your home freezer and you can quickly defrost them for speedy meals like pastas, wraps, salads etc.
Serving: 1g | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 952IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg
