Asiago Chicken Pasta

Name: Asiago Chicken Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 serves
Ingredients: 500g Chicken Breast; 3 tbs Oil From Sun-Dried Tomatoes; 1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (in oil); 1 Shallot; 3 Garlic Cloves; 1/2 tsp Smoked Hot Paprika; 80ml Dry White Wine; 60ml Milk; 125ml Pouring Cream; 120g Aged Asiago Cheese; 250g Penne Pasta; 2 cups Silverbeet Spinach Leaves; Salt; Black Pepper; Flat-Leaf Parsley; 1 tsp Lemon Juice; 30g Coarse Fresh Breadcrumbs; 1 tbs Oil From Sun-Dried Tomatoes; 1/2 Lemon

The unmistakable flavour of Asiago cheese brings this pasta to life. Quick and easy, and guaranteed not disappoint.

John DrummondWritten 16 July 2017

A black pan of penne in a creamy sauce with chicken and sun-dried tomato, a wooden spoon in it — Photographed in JD’s kitchen

Prep15min

Cook25min

All up40min

Serves4

LevelEasy

Asiago cheese can sometimes be a little hard to source, but there really is no alternative for this recipe. It’s unique flavour is the primary in this pasta dish.

Revised in October 2026: a shallot and a splash of white wine for depth, more of the right Asiago melted off the heat with pasta water, the chicken finished in the sauce, and a lemony breadcrumb crunch on top. The revised version hasn’t been cooked yet. Adelaide’s Central Market sells aged Asiago (stagionato) — that’s the one.

AI reviewed by Grok, Codex & Claude

The method

Ten moves.

Pasta, On
Bring a big pot of well-salted water to the boil. The pasta goes in when the wine goes in: cook it 2 minutes short of the time on the packet, and keep 200ml of the water before draining.
Pangrattato
While the water heats, fry the breadcrumbs in the tablespoon of tomato oil, stirring, until golden. Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest. Set aside.
Prepare, Chicken
Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces, about 4cm x 1.5cm. Pat dry and season with salt.
Chicken, Brown
Put 2 tablespoons of the tomato oil into a deep dished skillet over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in one uncrowded layer, 2 minutes a side, until golden. Lift it out onto a plate.
Sauté
Drop to a medium heat. The last of the oil and the shallot for 2 minutes until soft; then the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and smoked hot paprika for 30–60 seconds.
Wine, In
Pour in the wine, scrape up the browned bits, and reduce until almost dry.
Milk, Cream, Add
Add the milk and the cream and bring to a gentle simmer — never a boil. Chicken and its juices back in; simmer gently until the thickest piece reads 75°C.
Pasta, Add
Add the drained pasta and the silverbeet, with a splash of the pasta water. 1–2 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the silverbeet has wilted.
Asiago, Add
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the grated Asiago in three lots, adding pasta water a spoon at a time until the sauce is glossy and clings. Pepper, then salt only if it needs it — the Asiago is salty. A teaspoon of lemon juice only if it tastes flat.
Enjoy
Straight to the plate. Top with the pangrattato, the shaved Asiago and some parsley.