Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foster Farms® Simply Raised, which is locally grown in California. All opinions are my own.
Chicken and fresh vegetables with penne tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken penne with farmer’s market vegetables are delicious and easy to make.
This chicken penne dish. All that flavor! I absolutely adore it, and I think so will you. Filled with fresh ingredients, this chicken penne dish is simple to make and perfect for fall.
I think you may have noticed that I’ve been spending a lot of time at the farmer’s market. It’s so much fun looking at different stalls for inspiration. But lately, I’ve gotten into the habit of shopping more locally for food. I like to visit the SF Ferry Building Farmer’s Market Saturday mornings whenever I’m not working to see what seasonal vegetables and fruits are available. I also like to buy products from local businesses, which is so much easier to do now that Safeway has labels indicating them.
Part of the reason why I’ve decided to shop locally for food is because I know that the ingredients are fresh. Vegetables and fruits grown on nearby farms will definitely be fresher than those shipped from other states and countries. So I loved that Foster Farm’s has a line of chicken called “Simply Raised.” These American Humane Certified chickens are hormone and antibiotic free, raised in ranches throughout California and delivered fresh to local grocery stores within 48 hours. This line of chicken is perfect for this recipe since most of the ingredients used are fresh, and local.
This chicken dish is filled with diced zucchini, yellow squash, sliced mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and slices of chicken breast. The ingredients are simple yet so flavorful. You can make this dish in about a half hour which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner.
First, in a small to medium sized pot, cook about a cup of penne pasta according to the directions on the package. Once the pasta are al dente, drain the water and run the pasta through cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the pasta aside for now.
Cut one large chicken breast fillet in half lengthwise. You want the chicken breasts to be thin rather than thick, that way it will cook faster and still retain its moistness. I used two chicken breasts because I like having more chicken in the pasta, but you can have one or two. Lightly season the chicken on each side with salt.
In a medium sized pan, add a tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt over medium heat. Once the butter has heated, add four cloves of minced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook until it becomes aromatic before adding the chicken breast. Let the chicken cook about 3-4 minutes per side until they become browned. The chicken will be tender and juicy. The garlic will become soft, browned, and aromatic. It’ll flavor the chicken. Set the chicken breasts on a plate for now.
Add about a tablespoon of the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into the same pan you used for the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms and cook them until they’ve softened. Then add the sliced yellow squash and diced zucchini. I like having the vegetables in various sizes to give different textures. Cook the vegetables until they’ve softened.
Pour chicken broth into the pan. Lower the heat then pour in the half and half. Stir to evenly distribute the half and half. In a small bowl, mix together flour and water. This mixture will serve as a thickener for the sauce. Slowly pour the flour water mixture into the pan and stir to evenly incorporate into the sauce. The sauce will start to thicken.
Slice the chicken. Add both the chicken and the pasta to the sauce and toss them until they’re well coated with the sauce. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Then garnish with finely chopped parsley.
Serve the chicken penne warm.
Enjoy!
- 1-2 Foster Farms Simply Raised fresh chicken breasts, butterflied (sliced in half length-wise)
- 1 cup dry penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil from sun-dried tomato jar
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained
- 4 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 ½ cup diced zucchini (about 1 medium sized zucchini)
- 1 ½ cup sliced yellow squash (about 1 medium sized squash)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ⅔ cup half and half
- 3 teaspoons flour
- 4 teaspoons water
- Salt to taste
- Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
- In a small to medium sized pot, cook about a cup of penne pasta according to the directions on the package. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water and run the pasta through cold water to stop the cooking process. Set the pasta aside for now.
- Cut the chicken breast fillet in half lengthwise. You want the chicken breasts to be thin rather than thick, that way it will cook faster and still retain its moistness. Lightly season the chicken on each side with salt.
- In a medium sized pan, add the butter and allow it to melt over medium heat. Once the butter has heated, add the minced garlic cloves. Allow the garlic to cook until it becomes aromatic before adding the chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook about 3-4 minutes per side until they become browned. Set the chicken breasts on a plate for now.
- Add about a tablespoon of the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into the same pan used for the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil has heated, add sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms and cook them until they’ve softened. Then add the sliced yellow squash and diced zucchini. Cook the vegetables until they’ve softened. It’ll take a few minutes.
- Pour chicken broth into the pan. Lower the heat then pour in the half and half. Stir to evenly distribute the half and half. The sauce will appear creamy.
- In a small bowl, mix together flour and water. This mixture will serve as a thickener for the sauce. Slowly pour the flour water mixture into the pan and stir to evenly incorporate into the sauce. The sauce will start to thicken. Remove the sauce from heat once the sauce is thicker.
- Slice the chicken into thin pieces. Add both the chicken and the pasta to the sauce and toss them until they’re well coated with the sauce. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste. Then garnish with finely chopped parsley.
- Serve the chicken penne warm.
This post is sponsored by Foster Farms®, the opinions expressed are my own.
Looks delicious! I did not know you were a fellow SF resident! Thanks for the tip at the SF Ferry Building!
This looks amazing!
Thank you – this looks delicious!