This Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a quick, creamy, and delicious pasta dish featuring tortiglioni, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and seasoned chicken. Perfect for a delicious lunch or dinner!
Don’t miss the full list of 25 easy chicken dinner ideas your family will love.
Don't miss out on trying our other Tuscan-inspired dishes: Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken, Tuscan Tortellini Salad, Tuscan White Bean Soup and Creamy Garlic Tuscan Salmon.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Everyone loves this Tuscan Chicken Pasta in our family. It's an amazing mix of simple flavors that create a strong Tuscan feel. If you're craving a creamy, flavorful chicken dinner, this is the one to cook! Once you try it, you'll want to make this Tuscan chicken pasta recipe every week because everyone will love it.
✅ You'll Need
Chicken Ingredients:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Ideal for their lean, tender texture. For a quicker cook time, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Substitution: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used for a juicier alternative.
Pasta Ingredients:
- Tortiglioni or Rigatoni Pasta: These shapes are excellent for holding the sauce. Substitution: Penne or farfalle are good alternatives.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the sauce. Substitution: You can use olive oil too.
- Yellow Onion & Garlic: Foundation flavors for the sauce. Substitution: Shallots can replace yellow onion for a milder taste.
- Sundried Tomatoes: Provide a tangy, concentrated tomato flavor.
- Tomato Paste: Enhances the tomato flavor without adding too much liquid. Substitution: A couple of tablespoons of concentrated tomato sauce could work if tomato paste is unavailable.
- Spices (Oregano, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Salt, Black Pepper): These spices add depth to the dish.
- Heavy Cream & Milk: Make a creamy sauce. Substitution: For a lighter sauce, use half-and-half or a combination of milk and a thickening agent like flour or cornstarch.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty, nutty depth. Substitution: Asiago or Pecorino Romano can offer a similar flavor profile.
- Fresh Spinach: Adds color and nutrients. Substitution: Kale or arugula will work too.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Add a burst of freshness.
- Fresh Parsley: For garnish, adding a fresh, herby finish. Substitution: Basil could offer a sweet, aromatic touch.
🔪 How to Make Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Cut each chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, roughly 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Heat a large pot of salted water until it boils. Follow the package instructions to cook the pasta until it's al dente. After it's cooked, drain the water.
In the same skillet used for the chicken, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sun-dried tomatoes, sautéing them until they're soft, which should take about 3-5 minutes. Next, mix in the garlic and let it cook for an additional minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Add the heavy cream and milk to the skillet, stirring to combine them well. Then, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Add the Parmesan cheese, spinach and cherry tomatoes, letting everything heat together for 3-4 minutes.
Return the chicken to the skillet. Add in the drained pasta.
Serve and enjoy!
👨🍳 Tips
- Use Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself, sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil for more flavor, and fresh rather than dried herbs if possible.
- Sear the Chicken Well: For a flavorful dish, make sure to get a good sear on the chicken pieces. This not only adds flavor through the Maillard reaction but also adds a fantastic texture to the dish.
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Follow the package instructions to cook the pasta until it's al dente. Overcooked pasta can become mushy and won't hold up well in the sauce.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, reserve a cup of pasta water. The starchy water can be added to the sauce if needed to adjust the consistency and help the sauce adhere better to the pasta.
- Add Greens at the End: Add the spinach and tomatoes towards the end of cooking. This keeps the spinach vibrant and the tomatoes just tender enough without becoming mushy.
- Serve Immediately: For the best texture and flavor, serve the pasta hot right after it's prepared. If you have leftovers, they can be stored and reheated, but the initial serving will have the best quality.
🗄️ How to Store Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Keep any leftover Tuscan chicken pasta in an airtight container in the fridge, and it will stay good for up to 3 days. You can reheat the pasta either in the microwave or on the stove in a saucepan.
❓ FAQs
Absolutely! While rigatoni or tortiglioni are commonly used for their ability to hold sauce, you can use any pasta you prefer, such as penne, farfalle, or fettuccine.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but you can certainly make parts of it ahead of time. You can cook the chicken and make the sauce in advance, storing them separately in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, cook the pasta fresh, reheat the chicken and sauce together, combine with the pasta, and add the fresh spinach and tomatoes.
This dish pairs wonderfully with a side of Garlic Bread to soak up the delicious sauce and a fresh green salad dressed with a light vinaigrette to balance the richness of the pasta.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
Try our Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf for a cheesy twist on a classic, or go for the ultra-comforting Oven Baked Chicken and Rice. Want something lighter but still full of flavor? Don’t miss this Pistachio Crusted Chicken!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! We will be happy to hear from you!
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons sundried tomato oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pasta
- ½ pound tortiglioni or rigatoni pasta noodles
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup yellow onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped , oil reserved
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated (plus more for garnish)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast into bite-size pieces.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until it's golden on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Then, take it out of the skillet and put it aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to your package instructions. Drain once cooked.
- Using the same large skillet you cooked the chicken in, melt some butter on medium heat. Then add onions and sun-dried tomatoes, cooking them until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Mix in the tomato paste, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in the heavy cream and milk, then stir to mix them together. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Gradually sprinkle the Parmesan cheese into the sauce. Add the spinach and cherry tomatoes and allow it to heat through for 3-4 minute.
- Put the chicken back into the skillet together with any juices from the plate. Then, gradually add the drained pasta until you reach your preferred pasta-to-sauce ratio.
- Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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Jeanette says
I made this the other night for my husband and me. It was amazing. Made it pretty close to "as written". I used all HW cream No milk. I was at the store the day I was making it, and they had freshly made pasta. I had to try it, so I did grab a package of fresh Ziti. OMG, it was so good. with a couple of slices of garlic bread made that day in a whole loaf and just sliced half of it up and spread with homemade garlic butter with a bit of dried Italian seasoning. Will definitely make again. I told a coworker about it and she's going to make it for her parents this weekend. Thank you for the recipe. I know there are other "Tuscan Chicken recipes. But they don't have sun dried tom.s oil and 1 had flour?? No need for flour with HW cream and fresh grated parm. it thickens up so nicely
chefjar says
So glad you and your husband loved it, Jeanette! Fresh ziti and homemade garlic bread sound amazing—love the personal touches you added! Thanks for sharing too! 😊