CREAMY TUSCAN CHICKEN PASTA — This hearty pasta dish is loaded with tender chicken, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and fresh spinach in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. An easy, restaurant quality meal for any day of the week.
If you’re craving a hearty pasta dish like the kind you’d order in your favorite Italian restaurant, you’ve got to try this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta.
This really is a restaurant quality meal, except it’s even better because it’s homemade!
The chicken is sauteed until golden, the sliced and added to a big pot of pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Plenty of minced garlic and fresh spinach go into the mix.
And the chopped, sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of color, and a delicious, tangy flavor that makes this dish extra special.
This pasta dish is so easy to make, but elegant enough to serve company, or to enjoy for a romantic dinner at home. And if you have a hungry family to feed, it’s perfect for that too!
Any kind of pasta will work in this dish–penne, rigatoni, rotini, farfalle–you name it. If I wan’t to make it a bit more fancy, I usually opt for something like cavatappi or campanelle.
By the way, this article about Twelve Types of Pasta and When to Use Them is a great resource if your stumped about what kind of pasta to use in the dish you’re making.
But this dish is truly versatile when it comes to the type of pasta you’re using. So make it with whatever you have on hand. You won’t regret it!
Everyone in my family gobbled this up and went back for seconds, which is always a win in my book! Of course, I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any leftovers.
With some crusty bread and a side salad, this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta really is the perfect dish for almost any occasion. Enjoy!
Be sure to save this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.
Tips for Cooking Pasta
Use a big pot: Cook pasta in a large pot–big enough to hold 6 quarts of water per pound of pasta.
Salt: Generously season your cooking water with salt. A few teaspoons per quart of water is a good place to start. Although a little more or less is fine, depending on your preference.
Don’t overcook: Boil your pasta to until it is al dente, which means it’s cooked, but still a bit chewy. You’ll want to test your pasta for flavor and texture every 20 seconds or so during the last few minutes of cooking.
If you’ll continue cooking the pasta in a sauce, or baking it in the oven, remove the pot from the heat a few minutes before it’s done to prevent overcooking.
Here’s what you’ll need to make Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Olive oil
- Chicken
- Spices: Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
- Butter
- Produce: garlic, fresh spinach
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Pasta
- Parmesan cheese
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces dried pasta
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken in olive oil until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook a few minutes more.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth, then heavy cream. Cook and stir until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Cut chicken into strips. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, along with the spinach and chicken. Stir to combine and serve immediately.
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Nutrition
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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from The Cozy Cook
5 comments
Laurie Trombley
I made this tonight, its fantastic, I omitted the tomatoes and added bacon to it (I had it in a restaurant like that) YUM! Thank you for the recipe
angela grivas
Made this for dinner, doubled the sauce, it was outstanding. My whole family loved it and returned for seconds. Thank you for such a quick, easy and delicious recipe.
Danelle
So glad you liked it. Thank you!
angela grivas
And, where can you finda 1/5 cup size? It works out to 2 Oz’s.
Mona
Wow.. Very yummy..