Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This deliciously creamy Tuscan chicken pasta with fresh flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach delivers restaurant quality comfort food in under 30 minutes.

Today we’ll be making a creamy Tuscan chicken pasta bursting with flavors of the Mediterranean; with seared chicken breasts cut into thick slices in the pasta of your choice cozying up in a rich, creamy and decadent cream cheese and Parmesan sauce peppered with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach.

It only took me less than 30 minutes to get it finished from start to finish  and should yield at least 6 hearty servings. So if you’re in the mood for easy to make comfort food that should last you a couple days, try this one out. Let’s get started.

CREAMY TUSCAN CHICKEN PASTA TIPS AND TRICKS:

Pasta: The recipe uses penne pasta but you can try other tube-type pastas or even spaghetti, linguine, fettucine, angel hair or bow-tie pasta. The choice of pasta will not make or break the recipe so feel free to use your favorite.

Chicken:  I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You’ll know when the chicken is fully cooked when the meat turns white and when the juices run clear when you cut into it. An easier way would be to invest in a instant read meat thermometer and to cook until it reads 165 degrees F.

Sun-dried tomatoes:  I used julienne cut California sun-dried tomatoes in oil to make the chopping a whole lot easier and to use some of the oil while searing the chicken to give it a hint of sun-dried tomato flavor.

Spinach: I used fresh baby spinach which looks like a whole lot of bulk when you first add it to the pot. Don’t worry, it will cook down quickly. You can also use frozen chopped spinach as long as you cook it according to the packet instructions and drain any excess liquid before adding it to the pot. If you don’t like spinach, you can sub it with kale.

Cream sauce: When making the cream sauce, it’s easier to buy a block of cream cheese and cut them into cubes so they can melt quicker. I also used freshly grated Parmesan cheese as opposed to the pre-shredded ones you can buy in grocery stores because the preservatives in them tend to make them harder to melt and usually results in a lumpier sauce. For this, any block of Parmesan will do and a microplane or box grater. The sauce is a very, thick cheese sauce. If you prefer it a little more saucy, reserve 1 cup of pasta sauce and add it in until it reaches your desired consistency.

Onions and garlic: For simplicity sake, I used onion and garlic powder but you can substitute it with minced fresh yellow onions and garlic. Just sauté them in the beginning before the sun-dried tomatoes.

Reheating leftovers: When reheating leftovers from the fridge, add some milk to the pasta before microwaving it to make it saucy again.

And that’s about it. If you’re a vegetarian or just don’t like chicken, I have a meatless and slightly lighter creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach pasta. For other pasta recipe ideas, there’s also spinach and three cheese manicotti, tortellini Alfredo spinach casserole, chicken Alfredo pasta bake and spinach and artichoke ravioli bake.

Happy eating and enjoy the comfort food!

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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

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• Author: The Cooking Jar
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

This deliciously creamy Tuscan chicken pasta with fresh flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach delivers restaurant quality comfort food in under 30 minutes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about two 8 oz. chicken breasts)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 oz. fresh baby spinach/fresh baby kale
• 8 oz., sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 lb. penne/ziti/rigatoni pasta
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

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Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
3. Over medium high heat in a Dutch oven, add butter and 1 teaspoon of the sun-dried tomato oil.
4. Sear the chicken until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Cook until the chicken internal temperature reads 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer or the chicken is no longer pink.
5. Remove chicken and cut into thick slices.
6. Meanwhile, add spinach/kale and chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pot and sauté until the spinach cooks down.
7. Reduce to medium-low heat and add cream cheese, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce.
8. Add cooked pasta, sliced chicken and season with onion powder, garlic powder, basil and remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Stir to mix and if needed, season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Dish and serve hot.

Notes

Reheating tip: Add some milk when reheating to smooth out the sauce again.

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