Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a one-pot, comforting Italian-inspired dish featuring tender chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and penne pasta in a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce. Perfect for a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper (freshly ground)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce and Pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained, roughly chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 8 ounces penne (or macaroni, uncooked)
- 3 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet, let it rest briefly, then cut into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In the same pot, add the unsalted butter and melt over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Sauté until fragrant and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
- Cook Pasta and Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream, milk, and add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine, then add the uncooked penne pasta. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened.
- Finish: Return the cut chicken pieces to the pot along with the baby spinach. Cook for another 2 minutes until the chicken is warmed through and the spinach has wilted.
- Serve: Serve the creamy Tuscan chicken pasta warm, garnished with extra Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- This dish is made entirely in one pot, making cleanup easy and quick.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and drained for best flavor.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute half-and-half for heavy cream and milk.
- Fresh spinach adds a nice pop of color and nutrition; baby spinach works best because it wilts quickly.
- Feel free to swap penne with other short pasta shapes like macaroni or rigatoni.
- To enhance flavor, garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 695 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 181 mg
