Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

Why you’ll love it

This creamy Tuscan pasta recipe is so tasty, comes together fast, and isn’t complicated at all. In other words, my kinda pasta dish! It’s the ideal pasta recipe for busy weeknights, but it also happens to be very elegant and is guaranteed to impress your guests.

I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious the sauce is in this easy chicken pasta. I mean, who doesn’t love the classic Tuscan-inspired flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and basil? They’re even better in a rich garlic cream sauce! All of this in just 30 minutes? Yes please.

What you’ll need

• Pasta – I prefer a longer pasta like linguini, but any shape is great
• Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
• Olive oil – for pan frying
• Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, garlic powder infuses the chicken directly with flavor
• Italian seasoning – it’s a classic dried herb blend in a single jar
• Smoked paprika – my secret ingredient to amp up flavor
• Chicken broth – the base of the sauce
• Garlic cloves – more savory goodness
• Dijon mustard – don’t omit this! It gives a fantastic savory depth of flavor, and you can’t taste the mustard itself. It’s one of my favorite cooking hacks to make sauces incredible.
• Flour – to thicken the sauce
• Lemon juice – a burst of brightness and acidity to balance the flavors
• Sun-dried tomatoes – they’re a staple in Tuscan-inspired recipes
• Cream – use whipping/heavy cream to get that rich, luxurious texture
• Spinach and basil – hallmark fresh ingredients in Tuscan recipes
• Parmesan – pile on as much fresh parm as you like!

How to make Tuscan chicken pasta

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Boil water and cook your pasta until al dente. In a skillet, add the chicken along with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt & pepper. Pan fry until golden, about four minutes. Transfer to a plate.

To the skillet add the chicken broth, garlic, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice. Whisk until combined. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream to the pan and simmer for two minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet and finish cooking it. Add in the spinach and basil, and simmer until the spinach is wilted. Toss with the pasta, and serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese!

Substitutions and variations

• If you’re not keen on sun-dried tomatoes, you could chop up a medium fresh tomato instead. Keep in mind that the sauce may end up a little thinner. You can reduce it for longer if necessary.
• I don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for anything else. It really enhances the flavor and richness, and using something with a lower fat content could cause the sauce to curdle.