Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
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 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained (241g (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.
Notes
- Baby spinach cooks down so nicely that I don't often spend time chopping it first.
Nutrition
Calories: 830kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 44gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 608mgPotassium: 1532mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4867IUVitamin C: 78mgCalcium: 273mgIron: 4mg
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