Tuscan chicken pasta is a delicious and quick meal made with chicken breasts and penne pasta served in a creamy sauce of spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make!
Creamy Chicken Pasta
This Tuscan chicken pasta is easy to make and full of delicious flavor! The juicy chicken is cooked in olive oil with garlic, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Afterward, a sauce made of cream cheese, heavy cream, sundried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and grated parmesan is mixed in with cooked pasta.
I love this recipe because it's an all-in-one recipe that doesn't require any side dishes. For more easy weeknight dishes check out our creamy Tuscan chicken recipe (no pasta) and our creamy ranch chicken recipe with bacon.
Recipe Ingredients
- 8 oz uncooked penne pasta - about 3 cups
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium, raw chicken breasts - cut into small pieces
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes - sliced thin
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese - softened and cut into small cubes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
How To Make Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
First, prep all the ingredients. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips. Cube the cream cheese and let it soften at room temperature. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.
STEP 1: Boil 3 cups of penne pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package instructions. Cook al dente (soft but still a bit firm). Drain the pasta through a strainer then set aside.
STEP 2: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the 2 chopped chicken breasts, 4 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cook until the chicken turns white and is no longer pink on all sides. Add chicken to a bowl and set aside.
STEP 3: Add the ½ cup chicken broth and 1 teaspoon flour to the pot, reducing the heat to medium. Stir until the flour dissolves, scraping up any bits leftover from the chicken.
STEP 4: Now add in 1 cup heavy cream, 4 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, and ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes. Slowly stir until the cream cheese melts. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
STEP 5: Add in the 2 cups spinach and stir together. Cook until the spinach wilts and reduces in size.
STEP 6: Add back in the cooked pasta and chicken. Stir everything together and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Then serve immediately.
Variations
- Swap chicken with pork or beef. Ground meat also works, consider beef, chicken, or turkey.
- Any style of pasta will work including gluten-free pasta. Try macaroni noodles, spaghetti, spiral etc.
- To make it dairy-free, swap heavy cream for coconut milk. Swap cream cheese for cashew cream cheese. Swap parmesan for nutritional yeast. Measurements may require adjusting.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the pasta until it is softened but still firm (al dente). Mushy pasta will not taste good in this recipe so you don’t want to overcook it!
- Short on time? Try using a store-bought rotisserie chicken. These are pre-cooked and can easily be shredded with two forks. They're my secret weapon for busy weeknights!
- Swap spinach for fresh basil for a more fragrant flavor! Basil tastes wonderful mixed with tomato recipes.
- Be sure to soften the cream cheese to room temperature before starting the recipe. It will melt more smoothly. First, slice the cream cheese into cubes, then let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before making the recipe.
- If the sun-dried tomatoes come in a jar, you can use the infused oil as a replacement for olive oil in the ingredients. This will add a little more flavor to the dish!
How to store leftovers
- Refrigerate - First, let the dish cool completely to room temperature. Add it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the dairy will create a grainy texture that just won’t taste the same.
- To Reheat - I like to give it a splash of water just before microwaving for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat this on the stove in a pot.
Tools For This Recipe
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- Cheese Grater - This grater has a detachable storage container to collect your food, eliminating any mess! It's also dishwasher safe.
- Garlic Mincer - This is a stainless steel garlic mincer that allows you to mince garlic without peeling the cloves. It's easy to use and dishwasher safe.
- Measuring Spoons - Quality measuring spoons are an underrated kitchen tool. These spoons are magnetic, stainless steel, very strong, they sit flat on the table without spilling, and are labeled in metric and imperial.
- Kitchen Tongs - This is a set of 9 and 10-inch stainless steel kitchen tongs, great for anything in the kitchen.
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Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz uncooked penne pasta - about 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium raw chicken breasts - cut into small pieces
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes - sliced thin
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz cream cheese - cut into cubes and at room temperature
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Boil 3 cups pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package instructions. Cook al dente (soft but still a bit firm). Drain the pasta through a strainer then set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the 2 chopped chicken breasts, 4 minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon italian seasoning. Cook until chicken turns white and is no longer pink on all sides. Add chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the ½ cup chicken broth and 1 teaspoon flour to a separate pot, reducing the heat to medium. Stir until the flour dissolves.
- Add in 2 cups heavy cream, 4 oz cream cheese, ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese and ½ cup sun dried tomatoes. Slowly stir until the cream cheese melts.
- Stir in 2 cups spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and reduces in size.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir in. Then add the cooked chicken. Stir everything together and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Refrigerate - First, let the dish cool completely to room temperature. Add it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the dairy will create a grainy texture that just won’t taste the same.
- To Reheat - I like to give it a splash of water just before microwaving for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat this on the stove in a pot.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
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