Recipe: An EASIER Version of the Sundried Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Pasta

A friend of mine introduced me to the Chicken Mozzarella Pasta by Julia's Album a few weeks ago. I saw the pictures and had to try it. The whole family loved it and it's something I've made quite a few times since.


With that said, I have changed the recipe up a bit, using frozen fajita chicken, Kraft mozzarella (with Philadelphia Cream Cheese), whole milk, dry basil, and sun-dried tomatoes with garlic already in the oil. This cuts down a little on cooking time, and purchasing the frozen chicken lasts a bit longer than if you were to buy chicken tenderloins.

You'll need:

• Milk, 1 cup
• Frozen Fajita Chicken Strips, 1 lb
• Sun-dried Tomatoes w/ garlic, 1 jar (4 oz)
• Mozzarella cheese, 1 cup
• Penne pasta, 8 oz
• Basil, 1 tablespoon
• Crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon
• Paprika, 2 teaspoons
• Salt & Pepper to taste

First, put your frozen fajita chicken into a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for two minutes.

While the chicken is warming up, start boiling your water for the pasta.

Then, open your jar of sun-dried tomatoes, and pour out two tablespoons of the oil into a pan on medium-high heat.

Once the oil is heated up, toss in your sun-dried tomatoes and saute until they're slightly charred. Color is flavor, people. Color is flavor.

While the tomatoes are cooking, quickly remove your chicken from the microwave and season with paprika (for color, mainly). Toss it so that all of the chicken is very lightly coated.

Once your tomatoes are slightly charred, remove them from the pan and transfer them to a cutting board. Add the chicken to the pan that the sun-dried tomatoes were in and saute. The fajita chicken is already fully cooked, so you needn't worry about cooking it too long.

While your chicken is getting nice and colorful, chop your sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.

Once the chicken has cooked and is a light, golden brown, transfer it to the cutting board with the tomatoes. Chop the chicken into small, bite-size pieces. During this time, place your pasta into the boiling water and cook according to the directions on the box.

Place both the chicken and tomatoes back into the pan. Add basil and red pepper. Stir.

Next, add in your milk and cheese to create a delicious sauce. Mix well and bring to a low boil, and then a simmer. If the sauce is too thick, you may cover it to retain some of the moisture.

Once your pasta is done, strain it and mix it in with the sauce, chicken, and tomatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste. Stir it up, plate, and serve!

This pasta is truly delicious! It adds a small amount of heat with the red pepper, and goes perfectly well with some homemade garlic bread.

Enjoy!