This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe combines golden brown chicken breast pieces, fresh baby spinach, sundried tomatoes, garlic, and fettuccine pasta in a rich, creamy garlic Parmesan Cheese sauce with Italian seasonings. Comfort food does not get much easier or more delicious than this.
In just a few easy steps, you can surprise your family with this amazing chicken recipe. It is elegant enough for company yet easy enough for a weekday dinner. Enjoy this tasty dish with a simple rocket salad, fruit salad, or cheese garlic bread.
What’s In This Post
Ingredients Needed
- Olive oil: extra virgin
- Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Pasta: fettuccine noodles
- Seasonings: garlic, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil, dried marjoram, and red pepper flakes
- Chicken broth: preferably, low sodium
- Heavy cream: for thickening the sauce
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated
- Vegetables: baby spinach and sundried tomatoes (I know technically tomatoes are a fruit)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Tuscan Chicken Pasta
This is just the nutshell version. See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
Start by cooking the chicken pieces in a little olive oil over medium heat. Once browned and cooked through, plate the chicken. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.
Now add a little more olive oil to the skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, marjoram, and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Raise the heat to medium-low and add the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream. Let it simmer and reduce for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. While it is simmering, cook the pasta al dente and drain well.
Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the parmesan cheese, stirring to melt. Then add the spinach and continue cooking until wilted. Add the sundried tomatoes, cooked chicken, and cooked pasta, stirring to warm.
Recipe Tips
- Cut your chicken into fairly thin, uniform pieces rather than cubes so it cooks all the way through as it browns.
- Don’t throw all the pasta water down the drain. Reserve some for thinning the sauce. If you are in the habit of always forgetting this, then simply put a large bowl under your colander. Store a small amount of pasta water in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for heating leftovers.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for superior melting and the finest taste.
- Don’t boil the chicken broth and cream. Let it simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Heat leftovers in the microwave at reduced power, stirring in a little of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce, if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any medium pasta that holds the sauce well will work. Think fettuccine, rigatoni, penne, pappardelle, or rotini.
I personally like to use the julienne cut sundried tomatoes packed in oil. Drain the excess oil from the tomatoes and if they are small pieces, chop them.
You can also use dry-packed sundried tomatoes, but you need to rehydrate them. Place them in a bowl, cover them with warm water, and let them soak for a couple of hours. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
More Pasta Recipes
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut in bite size pieces
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta noodles
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ⅔ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil but drained and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides and cooked through; approximately 3 minutes each side. Plate the cooked chicken. Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the skillet over low heat. Add the garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, marjoram, and red pepper flakes cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Raise the heat to medium low and add the chicken broth and heavy whipping cream. Simmer and reduce for about 8 minutes stirring frequently.
- While it is simmering cook the pasta al dente (according to box directions) and drain well.
- Reduce the heat as low as it goes and slowly add the parmesan cheese stirring to melt. Add the spinach and continue cooking until wilted. Add the sundried tomatoes, cooked chicken, and cooked pasta stirring to warm. For best results serve promptly.
Notes
- Cut your chicken into fairly thin, uniform pieces rather than cubes so it cooks all the way through as it browns.
- Any medium pasta that holds the sauce well will work. Think fettuccine, rigatoni, penne, pappardelle, or rotini.
- Don’t throw all the pasta water down the drain. Reserve some for thinning the sauce. If you are in the habit of always forgetting this, then simply put a large bowl under your colander. Store a small amount of pasta water in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for heating leftovers.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for superior melting and the finest taste.
- Don’t boil the chicken broth and cream. Let it simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Nutrition
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Ramil Hinolan
The creamy tuscan chicken pasta is perfect for both a special dinner and a quick weekday meal. We loved it and I can’t wait to try it out with some garlic bread on the side!
Barb
OMG, this was delicious. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and creamy garlic sauce was absolutely mouthwatering. Thanks for the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Barb! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
Rosey
Pasta dishes are my favorite. This was rich, delicious, and easy to make.
Joy
What is it about baby spinach and pasta? I am definitely saving this recipe to try later! Thank you.
Kari
I’d like to add mushrooms. How would I cook this dish to include them?
Beth Pierce
I love mushrooms. Saute mushrooms in a little bit of butter and olive oil after you cook the chicken. Plate them with the chicken and add them back to the skillet with the chicken.
DARRAL
This looks very good ,,can it have a shrimp substitute ?
Beth Pierce
Yes you could substitute shrimp in this recipe. Just don’t overcook them. They only take 2-3 minutes to cook.
maya jensen
This was fantastic. I followed the directions pretty closely with the exception of using an Italian spice blend that had all of the herbs in it. It’s not for the faint of heart with all of that cream but its so good.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Maya! So glad that you like the pasta!
Dianna Gibson
Made this tonight for my my son’s Birthday. He has Celiacs Disease (can not eat wheat) and is also Allergic to dairy. I made this gluten and dairy free. I used gluten free egg noodles, plant based parmesan cheese and plant based heavy cream. Everyone loved it. We will be making this again. Thank you
Beth Pierce
Thanks Dianna! I am so glad that you were able to adapt it to your needs and wants. Thanks for the tips. The readers always appreciate great tips.
Melissa Cushing
I am loving this yummy looking pasta and I am pinning this post so that I can make this for my family. I love pasta and this looks delicious!
Jupiter Hadley
This pasta sounds really good for midweek! I love a good chicken pasta, thank you for sharing.
Yeah Lifestyle
This looks delicious! What a great idea of adding sun-dried tomatoes to the dish and pasta water as well. Something I am looking forward to make this week.
Tammy
Admittedly I love creamy pasta dishes but I don’t indulge in them often. So I decided to treat myself and boy was this delicious! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Rosey
Good tip on rehydrating the tomatoes. I like a good pasta dish.
Becky
This looks oh so good, like a taste of Italy at home! Thank you for the detailed recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure! Enjoy!
Rhian Westbury
This is exactly the kind of pasta dish I love, and the sort of thing I’d usually order from an italian restaurant. I’m a big fan of the creamy chicken sauces so sounds great x
Stephanie
My family loves chicken and pasta so when they are together it’s a perfect meal here. This didn’t last long when I made it and we had no leftovers!