Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is made with seasoned chicken, sun dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, rigatoni pasta and heavy cream. It's a restaurant quality dish that's ready in 30 minutes!
The Best Tuscan Pasta!
Whenever I ask my family what they want for dinner, they say, "Make that Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe!"
This Italian dish is comfort food at its best. In fact, it's such a delicious meal that I've added it to my weekly meal plan. I also love that it's easily made in one pot or dutch oven!
The decadent sauce is the first thing you taste when you take a bite. It's a restaurant quality meal that's easy to make and a welcome addition at your dinner table.
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Ingredients
Tuscan Cuisine uses the freshest ingredients available, but they're not hard to find. You can buy the following ingredients at your local grocery store. See recipe card for quantities.
- chicken breasts - boneless and skinless
- italian seasoning - a blend of several spices
- olive oil - for searing the chicken
- onion - adds flavor to the mushrooms and onions
- mushrooms - soak up the flavor of the sauce
- garlic - freshly minced works best
- sun-dried tomatoes - dehydrated tomatoes in oil
- chicken broth and flour - thickens the dish
- heavy cream - adds the silky texture to this dish
- parmesan cheese - shredded or freshly grated
- fresh spinach leaves - use baby or regular
- rigatoni pasta - can substitute other types of pasta
- salt and black pepper - seasons the chicken
Instructions
This hearty Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe gets maximum flavor from its cheesy parmesan sauce. Here's how to make it...
1 - Boil rigatoni (or penne pasta) until al dente in a large pot. Keep pasta warm.
2 - In a large skillet or dutch oven, saute diced onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium heat.
3 - Season chicken with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Add to skillet and continue to cook until chicken is tender (about 10 minutes).
4 - Lower heat and add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and fresh spinach until it wilts. Stir the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.
5 - Add flour mixed with chicken broth and stir well.
5 - Pour heavy cream into the skillet and bring heat up to medium again. Add parmesan cheese and stir until it melts into a creamy sauce.
6 - Drain pasta and add to the skillet. Stir and serve with a loaf of Cheesy Bread and a Strawberry Salad.
Why You'll Love It
- Comforting dish that's packed with Italian flavor
- You'll love the tender chicken, creamy sauce, and bold flavors
- This is an easy meal any day of the week. All you need is a large skillet and minimal prep to make this simple recipe.
- If you're looking for new recipes to add to your weekly rotation, put this Tuscan Pasta dish on your list. It's a one-pot meal that won't disappoint!
Variations
- Substitute frozen spinach instead of fresh baby spinach leaves.
- Chicken thighs can be used instead of boneless breasts.
- Cut the fat by using low-fat milk or half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Substitute any kind of pasta you wish. Use rotini, cavatappi, fettuccine, or penne.
- Make this a keto or low carb recipe by leaving out the carbs altogether.
- Stir in cream cheese instead of using heavy cream.
- Add red peppers or red pepper flakes to spice things up a little.
- Change up the protein to shrimp, scallops or mussels for a seafood delight!
Serving and Storage
Creamy Chicken Pasta is perfect for everything from date night to church potlucks. You can keep it warm in a crockpot or slow cooker until ready to serve.
It's one of those great meals that pairs perfectly with crusty garlic bread and a mixed green salad.
Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days. Freeze this dish for up to 3 months, but if using cream, it could separate once it thaws.
Recipe FAQS
Tuscan cuisine is known for its simplicity and rich flavors. Tomatoes, oil and Italian herbs are often used in Tuscan style cooking. This dish is made totally from scratch, which is a characteristic of Italian meals.
Sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated and packed in oil to enhance their flavor. They tend to be more tangy than regular tomatoes, but any type of fresh tomato can be used instead.
The best way to take the fat out of this recipe is to eliminate the heavy cream. By using low fat milk or half and half, you can cut the fat content substantially. However, the dish won't be as creamy or silky.
Related Recipes
If you love this recipe, try these other delicious dishes that are sure to please...
- Baked Feta Tomato Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Anitpasti Penne
- Lemon Chicken Spaghetti
- Baked Meatballs with Feta
Recipe Card
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta (boiled al dente)
- 1 pint mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 large chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, cubed)
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 dash of salt and pepper
- 1 jar (7.5 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes, drained (packed in olive oil, sliced)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1 Tablespoon flour or cornstarch
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces parmesan cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- Boil rigatoni (or penne pasta) until al dente in a large pot. Keep pasta warm.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, saute' diced onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium heat.
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Add to skillet and continue to cook until chicken is tender (about 10 minutes).
- Lower heat and add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and fresh spinach. Saute until spinach is wilted.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour with a little chicken broth until lump free. Add remaining chicken broth a stir. Pour into skillet. Stir the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits over medium heat.
- Pour heavy cream into the skillet. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
- Drain pasta and add to the skillet with heavy cream. Stir until mixed well.
Notes
- See notes in blog post for important tips, photos and instructions.
- Store leftovers in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze this dish for up to 3 months, but if using cream, it could separate once it thaws
- Cut the fat by using low-fat milk or half and half instead of heavy cream.
- Substitute any kind of pasta you wish. Use rotini, cavatappi, fettuccine, or penne.
- Make this a keto or low carb recipe by leaving out the carbs altogether.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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Do you drain the sun-dried tomatoes? Or put the oil in with the tomatoes?
Thanks for the great question Nancee! I drain the tomatoes. I corrected that step on the recipe. Thanks for pointing it out! 🙂
I’m always looking for a new recipe to try on special occasions. Father’s Day needed a very special dish for my dad and husband. Wow, did I hit a home run with the Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta! Easy to prepare, easy cleanup (one pot cooking - other than pot for pasta) and DELICIOUS! Paired with a fresh salad and rolls… voilà! Thank you Debi for a winning recipe that my family truly enjoyed - even the leftovers the following day.
Oh wow! Thanks Debbie! So happy you found a new recipe that you love!
I made this last night and it was a big hit with my family. Tuscan pasta is gonna be on our menu for a long time!
Tuscan pasta is one of my favorite chicken recipes. It's really creamy and we like to serve it with a Greek salad.