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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This creamy Tuscan chicken pasta is rich, cozy, and loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and spinach. It's a fast weeknight chicken pasta that eats like a restaurant meal. Frozen spinach works perfectly here as long as it's thawed and squeezed dry.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 873
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 pound pasta penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine
  • Salt for the pasta water
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water for loosening the sauce if needed
Chicken
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) sliced
  • 1 tablespoon oil from the jar
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan finely grated, plus more to serve
  • 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed very dry
Optional finish
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
Optional "make it extra" add-ins
  • 6-8 slices bacon cooked and chopped
  • 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup peas stir in at the end

Method
 

  1. Prep the frozen spinach Thaw the spinach and squeeze it bone-dry in a clean towel or paper towels until no liquid drips. Set aside.
  2. Boil the pasta Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve about ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
  3. Season the chicken Season the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Toss until evenly coated.
  4. Sear the chicken Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and sear 3–4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
  5. Build the flavor base Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly. Add sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil from the jar. Stir 30 seconds.
  6. Make the creamy Tuscan sauce Add chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
  7. Add Parmesan and spinach Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in finely grated Parmesan until smooth. Add the thawed, squeezed-dry spinach and cook 1–2 minutes to heat through.
  8. Combine everything Add the pasta and cooked chicken back in and toss until fully coated. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until glossy and silky. If the sauce is too loose, simmer 2–3 minutes and add a little more Parmesan.
  9. Optional lemon finish Off the heat, stir in lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot with extra Parmesan.

Notes

Storage & Meal Prep
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: Warm in a skillet over medium heat, in the microwave, or in a 350°F oven until heated through.