Introduction
Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a delicious and easy-to-make Italian dish that is sure to please the whole family. This dish is made with chicken, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, all cooked together in a creamy sauce. The flavors of the ingredients blend together to create a rich and flavorful dish that is sure to be a hit. This dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special occasion. Jessica Gavin’s recipe for Tuscan Chicken Pasta is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta – Jessica Gavin
This Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a delicious and easy weeknight meal. It’s made with a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. The chicken is cooked in a skillet and then added to the pasta for a complete meal. This dish is sure to become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Add the cooked chicken and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve warm.
For your next dinner, give this delicious Tuscan chicken pasta a try. Enjoy seared pieces of lean white meat in a creamy sauce with sweet tomatoes and fresh spinach.
Table of Contents
I created a family-style meal to celebrate the flavors of Tuscany while adding protein to make it heartier. Ripe cherry tomatoes cook until they burst, creating a luxurious garlic cream sauce to coat with the corkscrew-shaped pasta. Sun-dried tomatoes provide a concentrated sweetness to each bite.
Italian loves using local, garden-fresh ingredients, so leafy spinach is wilted and stirred in. To finish, a s simple garnishing of salty parmesan cheese and fresh basil is all you need. Take a trip to Italy without leaving your kitchen! That’s Amore! If you love this recipe, you might want to try my stuffed Tuscan chicken.
Pasta selection
I use short-cut, tubular, spiral-shaped pasta called cavatappi. The double elbow shape and linear grooves on the surface help the sauce cling on. You can use other types of pasta, like gemelli, rigatoni, or penne, as I do for my chicken spinach pasta.
Cook the pasta in salted water to be well seasoned throughout. It should be al dente, with some slight resistance, as it will continue to cook when mixed with the hot cream sauce. Reserve some starchy water to help dilute and flavor the sauce later.
Cook the chicken
Use boneless skinless chicken breast, and cut them into 1-inch pieces. The lean meat sears well and cooks quickly. The large chunks prevent them from drying out. I season with salt and pepper, then cook the chicken in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.
Don’t be tempted to move the pieces! Let them sit to create a golden brown crust on each side. The process only takes about 3 minutes, so don’t overcook.
Make the tomato cream sauce
You don’t need fancy ingredients to make a delicious and fresh sauce. Use the same pan used to sear the chicken breast. The fond on the bottom of the skillet adds an intense savory flavor. The minced garlic and dried Italian seasoning bloom in hot olive oil, releasing more fat-soluble flavors and more robust aromas into the dish.
The halved cherry tomatoes saute until they soften. You’ll notice that their juice will just begin to release. You don’t want to overcook them where they shrivel up, and all of the moisture evaporates. Now just stir in the heavy cream and chicken stock. The goal is to reduce the sauce so it thickens to coat the back of a spoon.
Cook the spinach
It might seem like three cups of spinach is a lot, but these leafy greens are over 90% water. They will wilt down and release their moisture as they hit the hot sauce. The flavor is mild but adds a pleasant taste. I also stir in sundried tomatoes to add a nice chewy texture and concentrated fruity sweetness.
Add the cheese
Parmesan is a hard grating cheese. When the heat is turned off, it’s best to melt it into the sauce to dissolve the salt. If you prefer a variety made in Italy, look at other types of cheese like cow’s milk Parmigiano Reggiano or a more pungent Pecorino Romano made with sheep’s milk.
After adding the cheese, it’s a good time to stir in some reserved starchy pasta water. I recommend adding about 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting the cream sauce, and adjusting the consistency as desired.
Toss the pasta
Right before serving, add cavatappi pasta and seared chicken to the pan. Mix it all, reheating if needed. I like to garnish with fresh basil, but if you have chopped oregano or parsley, they would be lovely additions to add a pop of green and herbaceous notes.
Serve this with
FAQ
It’s made from minced garlic, Italian seasonings, or fresh herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and fresh tomatoes. The ingredients are sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil until the tomatoes are tender and burst into a sauce. Heavy cream adds a rich consistency.
Yes! You can dice other tomato varieties like Roma into smaller pieces, about ½-inch in size. The key is to use very ripe tomatoes so that the sauce has a balanced sweet, acidic, and fruit flavor.
Use whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream. It’s lower in fat, about 30 to 36% milkfat. You can also increase the chicken broth or stock to 1 cup. Reduce the heavy cream to 1 cup. It will take longer to reduce the sauce, but the consistency will not be as rich.
Can I use canned tomatoes for the sauce?
Canned tomatoes are a convenient shelf product you can use to make the cream sauce. To preserve some fresh chunks of tomato, use whole peeled or diced. You can break down whole tomatoes to the desired size. The only downside is that producers use calcium chloride to retain their shape and keep them firm. This is not an issue if you like more significant pieces of tomato in the sauce. Use the same amount of canned product as fresh, but drain the juices or sauce from the can.
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Cook the Pasta – In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add 1 ½ teaspoon salt, and stir to dissolve. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the manufacturer’s directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the starchy water to make the cream sauce.
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Prepare the Chicken – Cut the chicken breast into about 1-inch cubes—season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
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Cook the Chicken – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken to a single layer, and cook without moving until the surface is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a clean bowl.
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Saute the Garlic – Heat the same skillet used to cook the chicken over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Cook the tomatoes – Add the cherry tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Turn the heat to medium, stir and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until the tomatoes soften and start to release their juices, about 4 to 5 minutes.
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Reduce the Cream – Stir in the heavy cream and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Frequently scrape the pan’s sides and bottom to ensure the cream does not curdle. Reduce the sauce until it starts thickening and lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 6 minutes.
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Cook the Spinach – Stir in the spinach and sundried tomatoes. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
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Finish the Sauce – Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency—season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Toss to Combine – Add the pasta and chicken to the sauce, gently stirring to combine.
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To Serve – Serve garnished with sliced basil.
- Recipe Yield: About 10 cups
- Serving Size: About 1 ¼ cups
- Storing: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a microwave on the high setting in 30-second increments until hot, stirring in between.
- Make it Gluten-Free: Substitute gluten-free pasta.
- Using Frozen Spinach: Defrost 3 ounces of frozen chopped spinach, about 1/3 cup, and drain well. Stir into the sauce with the sundried tomatoes.
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Nutrition Facts
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 430
Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 10g
Cholesterol 92mg31%
Sodium 658mg27%
Potassium 610mg17%
Carbohydrates 28g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 2000IU40%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 127mg13%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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