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
Scale
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.