Homemade Creamy Italian Tuscan Chicken Pasta With Spinach
This Creamy Italian Tuscan Chicken is a one-pan dinner made with pan-seared chicken, penne pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a Parmesan cream sauce that comes together in under 40 minutes.
It tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant, but it only dirties one pan.
I make this one when I want a dinner that feels a little special without much extra effort.
It works for a weeknight dinner, date night at home, or Sunday dinner when you want something a bit more polished.
If you like rich, saucy dinners like this one, check these out too:
- 21 High Protein Mediterranean Recipes
- 20 High Protein Crockpot Soup Recipes for Fall
- Viral Dump and Bake One Pan Dumpling Casserole
- 16 High Protein Casseroles with 20+ G Protein
Ingredients You’ll Need
Sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan are what give this sauce its depth, so don’t skip either one.
Chicken thighs work here too if that’s what you have (they stay juicier than breasts and are more forgiving if you overcook them slightly).
I use penne because it holds the sauce well, but fettuccine works just as nicely.
Print
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz penne pasta
Fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
Sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should hit 165°F).
Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil. - While the chicken cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water in case you need to loosen the sauce later.
Don’t rinse the pasta. The starch helps the sauce cling to it. - In the same skillet, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (that’s where a lot of the flavor is hiding).
Stir in the heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. - Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring until it wilts down before adding more.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese until it melts smoothly into the sauce.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan both add saltiness, so you may not need much extra. - Slice the seared chicken and return it to the pan along with the cooked penne.
Toss everything together so the pasta is fully coated in sauce.
If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water until it loosens up.
- Top with fresh basil and extra Parmesan, then serve warm and enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Pound the chicken to even thickness. Uneven chicken breasts cook unevenly, so the thin end dries out while the thick end is still raw in the middle. A rolling pin works fine if you don’t have a meat mallet.
- Don’t skip the browned bits. When you add the broth, scrape the bottom of the pan well. Those browned bits carry a lot of the flavor in this sauce.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits.
- Reheating. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of cream or broth to bring the sauce back together. Cream sauces can split if reheated too fast, so take your time.
- Swap the protein. Shrimp works well in place of chicken, just reduce the cooking time to 2-3 minutes per side. Add it back in at the same point you would the chicken.
- Make it lighter. Swap the heavy cream for half-and-half, though the sauce won’t be quite as thick or rich.
- Fresh spinach only. Frozen spinach releases too much water and will thin out the sauce. Stick with fresh baby spinach here.
How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe
Serving:
Serve straight from the skillet with a sprinkle of fresh basil and extra Parmesan on top.
A slice of crusty bread on the side is good for scooping up any leftover sauce. I like a simple side salad with vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
Storage:
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth or cream when reheating.
Customization:
Shrimp or Italian sausage both work in place of chicken if you want a change. Swap the penne for gnocchi or a gluten-free pasta if needed.
For extra vegetables, stir in sliced mushrooms or artichoke hearts along with the spinach.
Homemade Creamy Italian Tuscan Chicken with Pasta and Spinach
Course: Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz penne pasta
Fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
- Season and sear the chicken in olive oil, 5-6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
- Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Add garlic, then chicken broth, heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes; bring to a simmer.
- Wilt in the spinach, then stir in the Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the sliced chicken and pasta back to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Serve warm topped with fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Remove it once cooked through, then add it back to the sauce near the end.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for a smoother, creamier sauce.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a little reserved pasta water, chicken broth, or milk until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Add the spinach near the end of cooking so it wilts without becoming too soft.
- Sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or extra Parmesan are easy additions if you want more flavor.
- For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving:
Calories: 590 kcal
Protein: 42g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fat: 25g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 620mg
