Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Printable View)

Tender chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce with spinach and pasta.

# 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 pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente following package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and 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 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 more minute.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, scraping browned bits from the pan. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer gently 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Incorporate fresh spinach and stir until just wilted.
06 - Add cooked pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired sauce consistency is achieved.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The cream sauce is silky without being heavy, and the sun-dried tomatoes add a sweetness that keeps things interesting.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes weeknight dinner feel like a quiet celebration.
02 -
  • Never let the cream boil hard or it can separate and turn grainy—low heat and patience are your friends here.
  • Pasta water is your secret weapon for adjusting consistency at the end; it has starch that helps the sauce coat better than plain liquid would.
  • Let the chicken rest for five minutes after cooking so the juices stay locked in when you slice it.
03 -
  • Save pasta water before you drain anything—you'll thank yourself in two minutes when you need to loosen the sauce.
  • Grate Parmesan fresh and add it off the heat so it melts into the cream instead of clumping up from high temperature.
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