Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Tuscan chicken pasta is a delicious one-pot meal made with chicken breasts, penne pasta noodles, and sun-dried tomatoes. Everything is served in a delicious creamy sauce made with cream cheese, heavy cream, parmesan and spices. The entire meal can be prepped in under 30 minutes making this an easy addition to your weeknights.

Creamy Chicken Recipe

Creamy, cheesy, and so delicious, this Tuscan chicken pasta is sure to be a hit at the dinner table. Using flavorful ingredients like juicy chicken, sundried tomatoes, fresh spinach and grated parmesan, this recipe comes together easily and in a short amount of time.

CREAMY – The creamy sauce is totally delicious. Be sure to use heavy cream and cream cheese softened to room temperature to achieve a silky, smooth richness.
CHEESY – The parmesan cheese just melts away and coats the sauce perfectly.
FLAVOURFUL – So many delicious flavors including tender chicken, sweet and fragrant sundried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and a creamy sauce… what more could you need!?

Similar to our creamy Tuscan chicken recipe (no pasta) and our creamy ranch chicken recipe with bacon, this recipe is so versatile that you may want to consider adding it to the weekly dinner rotation.

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe uses more ingredients than most of my recipes, but it’s worth it! The result is a flavor-rich recipe that is truly delicious. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need with the full ingredients list in the recipe card at the bottom of this post (just keep scrolling down):

CHICKEN – Two raw chicken breasts can be chopped into small pieces and cooked quickly and easily. I could see this recipe also working with ground turkey, ground chicken or ground beef, and will probably try that in the future!

PASTA – This recipe could work with any style and shape of pasta. I used penne pasta, but macaroni, spiral, or spaghetti noodles would also work. For anyone gluten-free, you can use a GF pasta noodle including rice noodles, quinoa noodles or chickpea noodles.

CHEESE – A combination of cream cheese and grated parmesan adds the perfect creaminess and flavor! No need to add a lot of salt to this recipe as freshly grated parmesan has enough salty taste to it.

SUN-DRIED TOMATOES – Sun-dried tomatoes work beautifully in this recipe! You can usually find them near pasta ingredients, or packaged herbs and spices at the grocery store. They will come in a container or jar and are packed with oil. Just pull one out of the container, shake off any excess oil, and then slice them into strips.

SPINACH – Two handfuls of baby spinach (about 2 cups worth) are added straight to the pot near the end. These will wilt and shrink beautifully in about 1-2 minutes.

SPICES – Simple spices including garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning add flavor to the sauce.

CREAM – Heavy cream is an important base for the sauce of this recipe. You can also use half-and-half cream or coconut milk for a coconut flavor.

Helpful Tip: Cream cheese softened to room temperature 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. This will help it to melt faster too!

Variations

SWAP PROTEIN – Swap chicken with pork or beef (also cut into small cubes). Or use ground meat including ground beef, chicken or turkey.
SWAP PASTA – Any style of pasta will work. Try macaroni noodles, spaghetti, spiral etc. You can also use gluten-free pasta, my favorite is rice pasta as I find the texture is very similar to regular pasta.
DAIRY FREE – Swap heavy cream for coconut milk. Swap cream cheese for cashew cream cheese. Swap parmesan for nutritional yeast. Measurements might have to be adjusted.

Four images to make recipe in a large grey pot including raw chopped chicken and minced garlic, second is cream, cubes of cream cheese and sliced sun dried tomatoes, third is spinach on top of creamy chicken recipe, fourth is cooked pasta on top of recipe.

How To Make Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Everything for this recipe is made in one pot (except for boiling pasta), making life easier! Here’s an overview of how to make the recipe, but the full recipe card is at the bottom of this post and contains more details (just keep scrolling down).

BOIL PASTA – Cook the pasta al dente (soft but still a little firm) in a pot of boiling water. Drain pasta then set aside.
CHICKEN – Heat a large pot with olive oil. Add the chicken and mince garlic. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning over top and mix together. Sear all sides of the chicken until it is no longer pink on any sides. Add the cooked chicken to a bowl.
SAUCE – Now add the broth and flour to the pot over medium heat. Stir together and scrape the bottom of the pan adding this for flavor. Add in the heavy cream, cream cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. Slowly stir until the cream cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.
SPINACH – Add in spinach and gently toss with dressing. Let cook 1-2 minutes, the spinach will wilt and decrease in size during this time.
ASSEMBLE – Add the chicken and pasta to the pot and toss everything together. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and toss together with all ingredients. Scoop onto plates and serve!

Pro Tip: If your sun-dried tomatoes came in a jar, 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

Leftovers of this recipe will store easily in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the dairy will create a grainy texture after being frozen and thawed that just won’t taste the same.

REFRIGERATE – First, let the pasta recipe cool completely to room temperature. Add it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
TO REHEAT – Pasta can lose a bit of tenderness in the fridge. I like to give it a splash of water sprinkled with my fingers just before microwaving for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. You can also reheat this on the stove in a pot. Consider adding 1 Tbsp of fresh heavy cream to the pot and sprinkling it over the pasta. This will help it to tenderize and soften up a bit.

Close up of tuscan pasta chicken recipe in a creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes, spinach and shredded parmesan cheese.

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!
Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature before you make this recipe. This will create a smooth creamy texture for the sauce.
Swap spinach for basil for a more fragrant flavor! Basil tastes wonderful mixed with tomato recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different pasta?

Yes absolutely! Any pasta shape will work for this recipe including macaroni, penne and spaghetti noodles.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes absolutely. You can use gluten-free pasta including brown rice pasta, chickpea pasta or any other alternatives.

A pot of tuscan pasta in a creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes and spinach.

Creating a flavourful dish like this creamy Tuscan chicken pasta recipe is so easy to do at home. Once you’ve tried it, I’m sure it will become part of your weekly dinner rotation!

More Chicken Recipes

Looking for other chicken recipes? Try a few from the list below. They are all easy to make with simple ingredients.