This Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a delicious and easy recipe you can make on any night of the week! It is packed with flavor and only requires a few simple steps to make. The creamy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes really make this chicken recipe a family favorite.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This dish is so easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients.
- It is a great weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
- The sun-dried tomatoes add sweetness to the dish, while the spinach provides a slight bitterness that really rounds out the flavors.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to help you make this delicious and easy recipe. All these ingredients are easy to find at your local market, and you may already have most of them on hand, saving you time and money!
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Baby spinach
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Penne pasta
Equipment
You only need a few kitchen tools to help you make this pasta recipe. These are all everyday kitchen items, so you don’t need to worry about shopping for any special kitchen equipment for this recipe.
- large cast iron or heavy bottom skillet
- knife and cutting board
How to Make Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Making this Tuscan Chicken Pasta is easy and can be done in just a few simple steps. Follow these steps, and you will have a delicious meal in no time at all!
Step 1: Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
Make sure that you remove all the fat from the chicken breast first.
Step 2: Add the olive oil and chicken to a cast iron skillet, then season using the salt, pepper, and garlic.
If you prefer more seasonings on your chicken, you can season it now.
Step 3: Cook the chicken over medium heat until it is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes.
Make sure that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4: While the chicken is cooking, make your pasta noodles. Fill a large pot halfway with water, bring to a boil, add the noodles, and cook over high heat for 8 minutes. Then drain the water.
Please read the directions on the back of the pasta box to make sure that you cook it for the proper amount of time.
Step 5: Remove cooked chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Do not clean the skillet.
Step 6: Saute the butter, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach over medium heat until the spinach has started to wilt.
Step 7: Add the cream and milk and cook until it comes to a simmer.
Scrap the bottom of the pan, losing up the cooked-on bits for flavor.
Step 8: Remove from heat and stir in the Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
Step 9: Add the chicken and pasta, stir, and serve.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You may need to add a little bit more cream or milk to help the sauce loosen up. I do not recommend that you freeze this dish because of the heavy cream; it can separate.
Pro Tips
Here are a few tips to ensure that this recipe turns out perfectly for you every time you make it.
- Do not overcook the chicken, or it will become dry.
- Make sure that you use sun-dried tomatoes in oil, not the kind that comes dried.
- If you want a little bit more flavor in your sauce, add some roasted garlic when you saute the butter, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach.
- If you find that your sauce is too thick, add a little bit more milk until it reaches the consistency that you desire.
- You can also add some sliced mushrooms when you are sauteing the spinach if you want to add more flavor to this recipe.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Yes, you can use any type of pasta that you like. Just make sure that you cook it according to the pasta package directions.
This recipe is creamy, slightly acidic from the sun-dried tomatoes, and has a slight kick from the black pepper. The Parmesan cheese also gives it a nice salty flavor.
No, you can use half if you want to cut down on calories. The dish will not be as creamy, but it will still taste delicious.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
A simple, yet delicious and flavorful skillet chicken meal. This one-pan pasta dish is a perfect 30-minute weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 8 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz penne pasta
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes.
- Add the olive oil and chicken to a cast iron skillet, then season with the salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Cook the chicken over medium heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, make your pasta noodles. Fill a large pot halfway with water, bring to a boil, add the noodles, and cook over high heat for 8 minutes. Then drain the water.
- Remove cooked chicken from the skillet, set aside.
- Saute the butter, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach over medium heat until the spinach has started to wilt.
- Add the cream and milk, and cook until it comes to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
- Add the chicken and pasta, stir, and serve.