This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta has the most amazing, creamy sauce. It’s loaded with the flavors of the Mediterranean – sundried tomato, baby spinach, garlic, red pepper, and parmesan. Super quick and easy. A restaurant quality dish on the table in under 30 minutes.
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a family favorite
You’re gonna love this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta! It has a permanent place on the dinner rotation at our house. It’s so full of flavor and so delicious. It’s got the perfect combination of flavors – starting with the creamiest, garlicky parmesan sauce with a touch of garlic. (I can’t call it garlicky. I’m working on a post for a Middle Eastern garlic sauce to share with you. It’s garlic INTENSE. A knock-your-socks-off garlicky. This pasta sauce has a friendly amount of garlic.)
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a one dish meal
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a one dish meal. It’s loaded with slices of chicken and lots of veggies – sundried tomatoes, baby spinach, and red pepper. I love it left-over the next day for lunch (and breakfast). It makes a perfect meal prep idea.
Ready in under 30 minutes
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is so easy to make. Sauté the chicken, sauté the veggies, add the cream, broth, and cheese. Toss in the baby spinach and pasta. Bam! You’re done. Don’t you love a delicious meal that’s ready in under 30 minutes? That’s magic, my friends.
Chicken breasts are sautéed in a little oil until golden brown and cooked through. I use oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes, it’s so flavorful.
It's totally optional, but I like to flatten the chicken breasts with a kitchen mallet to even them out and make them thinner, like cutlets. If they are thick, I cut them in half horizontally first.
Remove the chicken from the pan, add a little more oil, and sauté some chopped onion until soft. Add the diced red bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes. When the peppers are almost soft, add the sundried tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning and let sauté for one minute. Deglaze the pan with chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, then add the parmesan cheese and cook until melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.
Combine the chicken and sauce with hot buttered pasta and Enjoy!
PrintCreamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta has the most amazing, creamy sauce. It’s loaded with the flavors of the Mediterranean – sundried tomato, baby spinach, garlic, red pepper, and parmesan. Super quick and easy. A restaurant quality dish on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound penne or other pasta ((454g))
- 1 tablespoon butter ((.5oz, 14g))
For the Chicken and Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts ((454g))
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 8.5 ounce jar ((241g) sundried tomatoes in oil, drained (yields about 6oz, 170g))
- 5 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning ((or oregano))
- ¾ cup chicken broth ((6oz, 170g))
- 1 ½ cup cream or half and half ((12oz, 340g))
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese ((3oz, 85g))
- 6 ounce bag of baby spinach leaves (whole or roughly chopped (170g))
- Red pepper flakes (salt, and pepper to taste)
Instructions
For the Pasta:
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with butter.
For the Chicken and Sauce:
- Optional: For quicker, more even cooking, slightly flatten breasts with a kitchen mallet. If they are very thick, slice them in half horizontally before flattening.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil.
- When oil is hot, put chicken breasts in pan and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.
- Let chicken cool for a few minutes, then slice. Set aside.
- Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan. Add onions and cook until softened.
- Add red bell pepper and cook until almost softened.
- Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Stir, and cook for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze pan with broth, scraping bottom to release any bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add cream and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Add parmesan and cook until melted.
- When cheese is melted turn off the heat and stir in baby spinach.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta, chicken, and sauce.
- Serve.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: pasta
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 717
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 501.3 mg
- Fat: 29.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 69.1 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 132.5 mg
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Robin Dunbar
When recipes call for parmesan cheese, I never know whether to use grated or the powdery cheese. Which do you use in this recipe?
Thanks!
Kelly
Hi Robin! I always use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor and texture. Sometimes pre-grated cheese has a powdery coating on it which may prevent it from melting smoothly.
Toni
I made the recipe as written & thought it was delicious!
Kelly
Thanks so much, Toni!
Brooke
I just literally made this fir dinner an hour ago. This recipe is a keeper. Delicious! Thank you for sharing ❤️
Kelly
So happy you liked it, Brooke! Thank you!
Marilyn Kedves
Fan,fan tastic!!! I used the sun dried tomato oil and it made the difference I’m sure. I can’t wait to make it for my best friends!!!
Kelly
So happy you liked it, Marilyn! Thanks so much!
Leslie
I made this per your instruction however it really soaked up the sauce. Would just heating a bit of broth and cream be enough to moisten it up without loosing the flavor?
Kelly
Hi Leslie, yes that should moisten it up. The pasta does soak up the sauce as it sits and cools. The dish is best served immediately after combining the pasta and the sauce.
Bonnie
Question: I can’t too much dairy and was wondering if I just use 1/2 of the cream or possible omit it all together would it ruin the dish?
Kelly
Hi Bonnie, you could use half the cream. It wouldn't be as creamy and saucy, but it would still taste good. As far as omitting it all together, I've used cashew cream in place of whipping cream in some recipes and it was very creamy. That could possibly work here, though I haven't tried it in this recipe. I make cashew cream by soaking cashews in water then blending them in a blender.
Andi
This was absolutely delicious. Very flavorful and balanced. It was a huge hit with my family. I served it over rigatoni and everyone went back for seconds. I also added sliced mushrooms when I put in the onions and it had a whole other depth of flavor. Definitely printing this recipe for my files. Thanks!
Kelly
So happy you liked it, Andi! Thanks so much!
cookingApps
Thanks for sharing the recipe. It’s straightforward to see why this is my family favorite! I know mine would be all over it. The Mediterranean flavors always lure me right in — and especially in a comforting, hearty dish like this one.
Kelly
Thanks so much!
Linda Simpson
i would have liked it a little thicker.Perhaps increasing no the cheese next time.
Will try it again in the future
Kelly
Hi Linda, Yes, adding more cheese will make it thicker, as will simmering the cream a little longer.
Karen
Love this recipe. I made it for my family over the summer and since then, it's become a regular recipe. I do ot different and chop the chicken before cooking it and add quite a bit of pepper flakes to spice it up. It's one of my favorites
Kelly
So happy you like it, Karen! Thanks so much!
Bill A.
Just curious but how many servings is this supposed to be?
Kelly
Hi Bill, It serves about 4.
Camila @ Microwave Choice
Sounds incredibly delicious 🙂 This recipe is unique and easy. thanks for sharing the great recipe.
Kelly
Thanks, Camila!
Melody
Just made this for dinner - absolutely delicious! Will be a regular in my house
Kelly
So happy you liked it, Melody! Thanks so much!
jeena
This is my kind of meal. I love so much about it – it’s easy to cook, filled with pasta, cheese and chicken… This would be loved by my entire family!
Kelly
Thanks so much, Jeena!
Kristine
This recipe exceeded my expectations! I made it for a neighbor's family (the mom had surgery) and they also thought it was incredible. I have since made if for other friends as well. This is similar to "Marry Me" chicken recipes but this recipe is by far the best of them all...and I like adding the penne pasta (which isn't called for when making "Marry Me" chicken). I also have since used only half 1/2&1/2 and half milk (to reduce some of the calories). This is also a great recipe for adding other ingredients such as mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, etc.
Kelly
So happy you liked it, Kristine! Thanks so much!