Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Printer View)

Tender chicken and sun-dried tomatoes blend with spinach in a luscious cream 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 pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

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

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let 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 another minute.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and optional red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Stir fresh baby spinach into the sauce until just wilted.
06 - Add cooked pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water gradually until desired sauce consistency is reached.
07 - Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra grated Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but comes together faster than ordering takeout, which is its own kind of magic.
  • The garlic-cream sauce is forgiving and naturally luxurious, so even small mistakes somehow turn into happy accidents.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water—it's the difference between a sauce that feels heavy and one that feels silky and integrated with the pasta.
  • Spinach releases water as it sits, so if you make this ahead, add the spinach fresh right before serving or it'll dilute the sauce.
03 -
  • Slice your chicken while it's still warm but has rested—it'll be more tender, and warm chicken incorporates into the pasta more smoothly than cold slices.
  • Keep the finished dish warm over very low heat if you're not eating immediately, stirring occasionally so the sauce stays even and nothing sticks to the bottom.
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