By Kara Kimbrough
Food Columnist
I’ve never been able to resist a dish that included pasta,
sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. This one is even better –
it’s filled with more tasty ingredients – chicken, heavy
cream and cheeses.
Even better, it can be mixed together in minutes in one
pan and baked to a bubbly goodness.
I honestly can’t think of a better way to get through 2025
than by indulging in this delicious dish at least once a
week.
One Pan Creamy Chicken Pesto Bake
1 pound pasta of choice (rotini works well)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes + oil
1pound chicken breasts
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced

Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (to taste)
1 teaspoon oregano (to taste)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream (room temperature)
2 handfuls spinach
6-8 ounces freshly shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
8 ounces freshly shredded mozzarella (divided)
1/2 cup pesto, to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the cream on the
counter to come to room temperature. Boil noodles in
salted water a few minutes less than package instructions
(al dente). Drain and set aside.
In a large oven-safe saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 1
tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil over medium heat.
Cook chicken breasts for a few minutes on each side until
no longer pink, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Let chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting into
bite-sized pieces.
In the same pan, melt butter and add salt, pepper, red
pepper, paprika, and oregano. Stir to toast, then toss in

the onion and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic
and cook for another 30 seconds. Turn heat to low, pour
in the heavy cream and stir. Let it simmer for a couple of
minutes to thicken slightly.
Add half of the parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella
cheese, stir until the cheese is melted.. Stir in the sun-
dried tomatoes, spinach, chicken, cooked pasta and
pesto. Top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan
cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then broil for
another 5 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.
Kara Kimbrough is a food and travel writer from
Mississippi. Email her at kkprco@yahoo.com.