Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a quick and easy dish featuring tender chicken, creamy Parmesan sauce, and fresh spinach. Perfect for busy weeknights, this well-tested recipe is guaranteed to come out perfectly delicious for a new family favorite in just 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 963kcal

Ingredients

8 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained according to package directions
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ¾ inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt, divided (½ teaspoon to season the chicken and ½ teaspoon to season the cream sauce)
½ teaspoon dried italian seasoning blend
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8.5 ounces julienne sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in herb oil, oils drained (approximately 1 cup)
2 ounces fresh baby spinach, lightly packed (approximately 2 cups)
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, cook the penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon salt, dried italian seasoning and black pepper.
To a large (12 inch) skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and seasoned chicken pieces. Allow the chicken to cook for 7-9 minutes or until no pink remains and the chicken pieces are golden brown.
Transfer the cooked, and browned, chicken to a plate and set aside.
Turn the heat to the skillet down to medium and add the unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the diced yellow onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, and julienne sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the tomato paste is blended in.
To the skillet add the fresh spinach leaves and saute for another 2-3 minutes or until all the spinach leaves have wilted and cooked down.
Add the chicken broth to the skillet to deglaze the pan by scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth bubbles.
Add the heavy cream to the spinach mixture and allow the sauce to bubble and thicken for 3-5 minutes.
Once the sauce has started to thicken, turn off the heat to the skillet and add the penne pasta, cooked chicken and grated parmesan cheese. Stir to combine the sauce with the chicken and pasta until all the pasta and chicken are evenly coated in sauce.

Notes

Dry the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Wet chicken can cause the meat to steam, but dry chicken will achieve a flavorful golden brown sear.
Room Temperature Chicken: Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. This helps the chicken to cook more quickly and evenly.
Heat the Skillet: Make sure the skillet is hot before adding the chicken to get a good sear. This helps lock in the juices and flavor.
Deglazing the Pan: When deglazing with chicken broth, scrape the bottom of the skillet well to incorporate all the flavorful bits into the sauce. This gives the pasta sauce a lot more flavor.
Simmer, Don’t Boil: When adding the heavy cream, keep the heat at a gentle simmer to prevent the cream from curdling and to help thicken the sauce gradually.
The Sauce is Too Thin: Allow the cream to simmer longer to thicken, or add a small amount of cornstarch mixed with water to the sauce.
The Sauce is Too Thick: Add a bit more chicken broth or reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency.
Onions and Garlic are Burning: Lower the heat to medium and keep an eye on them, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
Spinach is Clumping Together: Add the spinach in batches and allow each handful to wilt before adding more.

Nutrition