Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Linguine with Zucchini Recipe

If you love a good, easy pasta dish loaded with flavor, you need to make our creamy sundried tomato chicken linguine with zucchini.

Bursting with flavor and incredible texture, our creamy sundried tomato chicken linguine with zucchini recipe may just become your new favorite pasta dish.

I know, I know. That's a mighty big claim, but you'll have to try it for yourself to see why I feel so strongly about this - it's just that incredibly delicious!

This decadent pasta dish is a guaranteed crowd favorite, but it's shockingly simple to make plus it comes together with just a handful of simple ingredients.

Why We Love This Creamy Chicken Linguine Recipe

Allow me to be completely transparent and admit that half of why I think this chicken linguine recipe is so wildly good is the abundance of sundried tomatoes.

In my humble opinion, sundried tomatoes one of the world's finest ingredients. Turn them into ravioli, egg rolls or a one pot dinner and I am on board!

Sundried tomatoes are so flavorful and I love the chewy texture. Combined with a creamy sauce and the tender crunch of zucchini? It's a home run.

Plus this is the kind of pasta dish that feels way fancier than it really is so you can make it for a quick weeknight meal or for your next dinner party with ease.

When you land on a dish that you can easily whip up for the family, but is also good enough to impress your mother in-law, you hoard that recipe for all time.

The bonus of all of this is how few ingredients you need to toss this pasta dish together with ease. We're talking six ingredients or less!

Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Linguine with Zucchini

To make this easy chicken linguine recipe, you will need:

Ingredients

• Linguine - This recipe typically uses linguine, but you could also substitute fettucine or even spaghetti when making this recipe.
• Zucchini - If you don't have zucchini or just don't like it, you can skip it entirely, but trust me! The zucchini adds so much to the final dish.
• Sundried tomatoes - The sundried tomatoes are a must here - another variety of tomato won't work the same way. You can used the kind in the jar packed with oil or use the kind in the pouch without oil.
• Parmesan cheese - For the tastiest sauce use a fresh block of parmesan cheese and grate it right before cooking for maximum flavor.
• Chicken - See our notes below, but any cooked chicken breast that has been shredded works when making this chicken linguine.
• Cream - This recipe uses half and half as the foundation of the rich, creamy sauce.
• Basil - Don't skip fresh basil for garnishing! It adds a nice fresh herbal flavor and a bit of green to the dish that is very appealing.

Gear

• Skillet
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Grater

Step 1. Cook linguine in boiling water per the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, wash and slice each zucchini lengthwise. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let rest.

Step 2. Allow the zucchini to salt for about 10 minutes. This allows some of the moisture to pull out so the zucchini doesn't turn mushy in your pasta dish.

Rinse and pat the zucchini mostly dry, then cut into roughly 1/2" chunks.

Step 3. Add the oil, sundried tomatoes and garlic to a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sautee until fragrant, roughly 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4. Add the chunked zucchini to the skillet and continue to cook until the zucchini is slightly softened and starting to look just barely translucent.

Step 5. Now, add the cream and whisk well to combine. Bring to a very low boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat slightly to a simmer.

The sauce will thicken as it simmers - if you think it's too thick at any time, add more cream a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Step 6. Add the parmesan cheese and whisk well to combine. Continue to whisk occasionally as the cheese is melting until fully incorporated.

Step 7. Add the linguine and shredded chicken and toss to combine until everything is evenly coated with sauce.

Step 8. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional paremsan cheese grated over top and fresh chopped basil. 

What Kind of Chicken Should You Use?

You'll notice that the recipe doesn't specify how to cook the chicken for this creamy sundried tomato pasta recipe - and that is completely intentional!

The idea is that to keep this recipe as simple as possible you should use whatever kind of chicken you prefer or happen to have on hand already.

You can grab and shred up a rotisserie chicken (like we often do when making these pesto chicken sliders) or use leftover chicken from the night before.

I quickly marinated chicken and tossed it on the grill then added grilled chicken to this chicken linguine - then I had the leftovers to use for another meal.

You could even grab pre-cooked, refrigerated chicken breast from the grocery store to shred up and toss in your pasta. Do whatever is easiest for you.

Tips for Making Our Sundried Tomato Chicken Linguine

While this dish is incredibly simple to make, sometimes it helps to have a frew tips and tricks up your sleeve when making a new recipe for the first time.

• Be sure to salt the zucchini. You can do this quickly while the pasta is boiling and it adds a lot of texture to the final dish. If you skip this step your zucchini is likely to get mushy by the time you serve dinner and nobody loves mushy pasta.
• Prep the chicken in advance. As noted above, you can use any kind of chicken that works best for you when making this linguine recipe. If you want to grill or roast chicken, do so a day or two in advance to make things easiest. You can even shred it in advance for maximum efficiency.
• Don't overcook the pasta. Make sure not to boil the linguine past al dente. If you do, be prepared to have a softer pasta in the finished dish. It will still be delicious, but it will change the texture a bit. 

Our Favorite Chicken Pasta Recipes

Chicken pasta recipes are a crowd favorite for a reason - they're totally versatile and widely appealing to most palates and flavor preferences.

Our classic chicken linguine recipe is simple to make and a forever crowd favorite while our lemon chicken linguine is just as delicious and easy to make!

If you love a decadent chicken pasta with a tiny bit of heat, try our chicken riggies recipe - this Upsate New York mainstay is out of this world flavorful.

For the asparagus lovers, don't miss our chicken asparagus pasta recipe. The addition of asparagus is a perfect pairing with the light, creamy sauce.

Our one pot Cajun chicken recipe is loaded with andouille sauage, onions and tomatoes - plus we love that clean up is an actual breeze!

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