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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.
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This recipe was originally published on February 24, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
I would suggest cooking the spinach separately and draining all of the water out of it because it brings a bitter taste if you cook it in the sauce
Hi! I never found that to be the case (and I add spinach to a LOT of recipes), but thanks for sharing your tip. I’m sure it’ll help those who do find it to be bitter.
This was a super yummy dish. I added bacon to it and it was great cuz bacon tastes good on everything.
Thank you!! And agreed!
Delicious!!!!
Thank you!!
Tried this recipe and for some reason my sauce was a little too thin. Any suggestions for next time?
Hi! You could do step 4 for a bit longer next time so it thickens more prior to adding in the chicken.
Delicious!!! I’ll be adding this to my list for sure!!
Thank you, Matthew! 😀
Excellent!
Thank you!!
Made this as a quick dinner tonight and it was so good! I love that is a unique flavor and not just like every other white sauce. The lemon and dijon give it a delicious flavor and the smoked paprika is so dang good! I didn’t have any sundried tomatoes, but it was delicious even without! Thanks for a great, easy recipe!
I’m so happy it was a hit!! 😀 You’re very welcome, Dacia!
Tried this tonight & was very pleased to hear all the praise by my hubs & 3 sons ! Everyone enjoyed it ! That never happens ! Will def. Be putting this in my biweekly rotation! Thank you !
I’m thrilled to hear that, Michelle!! 😀
I plan on making this tomorrow using leftover rotisserie chicken!
Enjoy!! Let me know how it goes.
Made this twice in two weeks. Officially my family’s favorite pasta dish. My daughter loves the creamy seasoning. I double the spices, birth and cream to make it really saucy!!!
I love that!! 😀
I meant *broth and cream. Honestly, I have made it when I didn’t have spinach, I have made it when I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes, it’s good any way!!!