Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Printable)

Savory chicken and spinach combine with sun-dried tomatoes in a luscious creamy sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
02 - 1 tbsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Chicken

03 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
06 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
11 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
12 - 1 cup heavy cream
13 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
15 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
16 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

17 - Chopped fresh basil or parsley
18 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 additional minute.
04 - Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Stir in fresh baby spinach until just wilted.
06 - Add cooked pasta and sliced chicken to skillet. Toss to coat evenly, adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired sauce consistency is reached.
07 - Adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Serve immediately garnished with chopped basil or parsley and extra grated Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when it takes barely 40 minutes from start to finish.
  • The sauce is so silky and rich it makes even simple ingredients feel luxurious.
  • It's the kind of meal that turns a regular weeknight into something worth remembering.
02 -
  • Don't skip saving pasta water—it's the difference between a sauce that coats the pasta and one that sits in a puddle at the bottom of your bowl.
  • Let the chicken rest after cooking; slicing it too early releases all the juices and leaves you with dry chicken in a creamy sauce, which defeats the purpose.
  • Heavy cream can break if the heat gets too high after you add it, so keep that burner on low and stir gently.
03 -
  • Fresh Parmesan makes a visible difference in how silky the sauce becomes; it melts differently than the pre-grated stuff.
  • Don't crowd the skillet when you sear the chicken—give it space to brown properly, or it steams instead of sears.
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