This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a perfect comforting meal that you can make in just 30 minutes. Seared chicken, pasta, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach are coated in delicious flavorful sauce and will become your new favorite family dinner recipe.
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is one of the best pasta recipes I’ve posted! Made with pan seared chicken, your favorite pasta, tart sun dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and creamy sauce, it has all the delicious flavors melted together in one pot. The best part is that you can make this fancy restaurant style dish in just 30 minutes!
Why you will love the recipe
- Quick and Easy. If we don’t count boiling pasta in a pot, the rest of the dish is done in one skillet in just 30 minutes!
- Delicious. This recipe has so many flavors melted together, that perfectly balance each other.
- Restaurant-style meal. Your whole family will be amazed that you made this popular restaurant-style dish at home!
Ingredients and Substitution
Pasta. I prefer to use penne or ziti pasta, but you really can use pretty much any variety, as long as it’s not too small in size.
Chicken. Diced boneless skinless chicken breast will be the best option. Although, you can also use chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken thighs, sear them and then dice after it’s cooked. Rotisserie chicken will also work in this recipe. You just will need to chop the meat into bite size pieces and add in the end according to the instructions.
Sun dried tomatoes. You can use either oil based or dried tomatoes. They will both will work just fine. If you are using oil-based ones, make sure you remove them from the oil completely before dicing and adding to the sauce. To do so, you can just put them in between of two sheets of paper towel and let the towels absorb the oil.
Spinach. Baby spinach will be the best option. If you don’t have it on hands, you can substitute it with kale, broccoli, or even asparagus.
How to make Tuscan Pasta
Bring a large pot with water to boil. Transfer 10 oz ziti pasta and cook according to the instructions until al-dente. When done, drain all the water and set the pasta aside.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large pan over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
Add cubed chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Then scoop all the cooked chicken out of the pan into a plate and set aside.
Low the heat to medium. In the same pan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and whisk until well combined for about 1 minute.
Then add 1 ½ cups chicken broth and 1 cup heavy cream, then whisk again until the butter/flour mixture is dissolved.
Add the seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes). Whisk and continue to whisk until the sauce gets thicker, about 7-10 minutes.
Then add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and whisk again until well combined.
After that, add ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes and 4 cups spinach and cook for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Add precooked chicken and cooked pasta, stir until well combined. Serve!
Tips for best results
- Chicken. Make sure you don’t overcook it while searing. Otherwise, it might dry out and be tough.
- Salt. Because the Parmesan cheese and sun dried tomatoes that you are adding at the very end are salty, be careful with not over salting the whole dish.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. If you are using oil-based tomatoes, make sure you drain it from oil by pat drying it in paper towels.
Storage and Freezing
How to store?
You can keep it in an air tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
How to reheat?
Simply reheat it in the skillet over medium heat, covered with the lid.
How to freeze?
Yes! When it’s completely cooled off, just transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight, then reheat using the instructions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the sauce lighter, you can substitute the heavy cream with half and half. It still will be creamy but less rich.
You can use pretty much any pasta you have on hands, as long as it’s mot too small. My favorites are: Ziti, penne, spaghetti, fettuccine, and bow tie.
More Pasta Recipes:
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
- Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Tortellini with Tomato Sauce
- Easy Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Baked Cheese Tortellini
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1×1-inch pieces
- 10 ounces pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes removed from oil and sliced
- 4 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Bring a large pot with water to boil. Transfer 10 oz ziti pasta and cook according to the instructions until al-dente. When done, drain all the water and set the pasta aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large pan over medium/high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Add cubed chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Then scoop all the cooked chicken out of the pan into a plate and set aside.
- Low the heat to medium. In the same pan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and whisk until well combined for about 1 minute.
- Add 1 ½ cups chicken broth and 1 cup heavy cream, then whisk again until the butter/flour mixture is dissolved.
- Add the seasoning (½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes). Whisk and continue to whisk until the sauce gets thicker, about 7-10 minutes.
- Then add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and whisk again until well combined.
- Then add ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes and 4 cups spinach and cook for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted.
- Add precooked chicken and cooked pasta, stir until well combined. Serve!
Notes
- Chicken. Make sure you don’t overcook it while searing. Otherwise, it might dry out and be tough.
- Salt. Because the Parmesan cheese and sun dried tomatoes that you are adding at the very end are salty, be careful with not over salting the whole dish.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. If you are using oil-based tomatoes, make sure you drain it from oil by pat drying it in paper towels.
- How to store? You can keep it in an air tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- How to reheat? Simply reheat it in the skillet over medium heat, covered with the lid.
- How to freeze? When it’s completely cooled off, just transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight, then reheat using the instructions above.
I am making this to take to someone an hour away. Do you recommend me adding the pasta to the sauce and chicken before hand and reheating on the stove top or do I make the pasta separate?
Hi Jale, you can mix all the ingredients together. Pasta will have enough time to absorb the sauce and will taste even better when you arrive 😉