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This 30-minute Tuscan chicken pasta is easy to make and full of flavor! It has an amazing creamy sauce with a classic trio of sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and spinach.
Try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken or Marry Me Chicken Pasta next.
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!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- You don’t ever have to be in doubt about whether chicken is cooked with an inexpensive instant read meat thermometer.
- I store flour in one of these airtight pantry containers to keep it fresh.
- Mincing garlic is simple with a garlic press, and I always freshly grate parmesan with my Microplane zester.
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!
Pro tip
Feel free to sub the chicken broth with a good dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc that you enjoy drinking for a touch of elegance (not cooking wine).
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.
What to serve with Tuscan chicken pasta
- It’s fairly hearty, so I’d recommend breadsticks or a dinner roll. You could also make it extra special with Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread for the table.
- A side salad pairs well too. My Creamy Balsamic Dressing or Homemade Italian Dressing (Olive Garden style) are great options.
Leftovers and storage
- This pasta will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. I wouldn’t freeze it since cream sauces generally don’t fare well in the freezer.
- Reheat in a covered saucepan over a low heat so that the sauce doesn’t separate.
- Boil fresh pasta if you can, and add in a splash of cream to revive it if needed.
I hope you will love this creamy sun-dried tomato pasta with chicken as much as I do! Please leave a star rating and review below. You can also tag me on Instagram.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1-2 cups baby spinach (loosely packed)
- Small handful fresh basil chopped finely
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add the chicken pieces to a skillet, along with the olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and salt & pepper. Give it a good stir and cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, until the outside of the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the chicken broth, garlic, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice to the pan. Stir/whisk until well combined and let it bubble for a minute or so.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream to the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken back into the pan. Cook for another few minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickned some more (be careful not to overcook).
- Stir in the basil and spinach. Let it cook for a minute or so until it wilts. Give the sauce a taste and season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
- Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- I used the julienned sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil (I drain them prior to adding them to the sauce).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on February 24, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Really delicious recipe that comes together quick and never disappoints! Thank you.
You’re very welcome!
This is the best Tuscan Chicken I have ever had! I liberally seasoned the chicken instead of measuring out the individual spices. Good quality smoked paprika really makes this dish.
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad you liked it, Andrea!
We loved it but I dit upgrade the seasoning al little bit because we like lots of flavors – used more spinach (because we love it) and let the pasta sit in the pan for 3 min so it could absorb the rich sauce better 😋.
Definitely one to keep
Nancy ( Antwerp – Belgium)
As we say in Dutch: lekker 😁😋
So glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks, Nancy!
I found this recipe yesterday and decided to make it tonight. I had no cream (and under restrictions on shopping at the moment no chance of getting it) so I used greek yoghurt ( a mix of thick and thin) and I had no spinach so I removed the spinach from a bag of mixed lettuce, which always has too much in it. It was really tasty and I will definately making again. Oh and I made my own pasta tagliatelli. (needs must)
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Catherine!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Made this tonight and it was absolutely fantastic! Your cooking style is right up my alley And I have made and loved at least 15 of your recipes. Thank you for your inspiration and all the incredible recipes. Forever gratefull. My friends and family think I am an amazing cook and a lot of that is because of you!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying so many of the recipes! 🙂 XO
Hi Natasha,
You never disappoint! I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a few weeks now, and finally made it tonight. Another keeper! I’m such a picky eater, so it’s so nice to find recipes that I’m excited to eat.
I did overcook the chicken, even though you warned me not to. Will do better next time, I promise. I hate sun-dried tomatoes, so I substituted a cup of grape tomatoes cut in half. Added 2 cups of spinach instead of one. I liked the ratio. Hubby LOVED it. I forgot to offer him the fresh parm on top, he says yes that would have been great. Definitely for next time.
Have I told you lately I’m so happy I found your blog? LOL Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it!! Haha you’ll get the chicken right soon. 😉
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream? Love your recipes😊
Hi Lynn! Thank you! 🙂 So, I don’t recommend it. I do explain the the blog post why not… basically do it at your own discretion as it may not turn out the same.
Made this for my boyfriend last night, he was very impressed. Will definitely make again!
So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Really tasty, hubby and I enjoyed it massively! We used a low fat double cream which was still lovely and rich, and helped me feel less guilty 😂
Hahaha sounds good to me! So glad you two liked it!
Okay, so I cheated – I took a short cut and used a rotisserie chicken…. my husband and son said it was restaurant worthy! Tonight I’ll follow the directions and use the cutlets and blow their minds 🤯. I think I’ll even double the sauce.
That is awesome… so happy it worked out, Lisa!! Let me know how it goes tonight!
I just came across your blog today and I’m so excited because your style of cooking and flavor profiles are exactly what I like. This was the first recipe I decided to try today and it was amazing. I substituted mushrooms for the chicken to make it vegetarian and it turned out great. Can’t wait to try more recipes from you!
So happy you found me!! 🙂