Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Tender chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in a creamy garlic-Parmesan sauce over pasta with spinach.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
02 - 1 tbsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Chicken

03 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
06 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Sauce

08 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
11 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
12 - 1 cup heavy cream
13 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
15 - 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

17 - Chopped fresh basil or parsley
18 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, let rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional minute.
04 - Deglaze skillet with chicken broth, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Reduce heat to low, then stir in heavy cream, grated Parmesan, and red pepper flakes. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Stir fresh baby spinach into the sauce and cook until just wilted.
06 - Add cooked pasta and sliced chicken to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly, gradually adding reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil or parsley and extra grated Parmesan.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you fussed for hours, but you'll have it on the table in 40 minutes flat.
  • The cream sauce clings to every noodle and strand of spinach in a way that feels deeply satisfying.
  • One skillet does almost all the work, so cleanup is mercifully short.
02 -
  • Don't let the cream boil hard or it will curdle and separate—keep the heat low once it goes in.
  • Save that pasta water before you drain—it's starch that thins the sauce and helps it cling, and you can't get it back.
03 -
  • Cooking the chicken in the same skillet before making the sauce means those browned bits stay behind to flavor everything that comes after.
  • Taste constantly in the last minute—salt and pepper at the end matter more than you'd think, because cream mutes flavors as it cools.
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