Enjoy this delicious Tuscan chicken pasta recipe for lunch or dinner any day of the week. Quick and easy creamy pasta recipe made Tuscan Style and ready in 30 minutes.
This Creamy chicken pasta recipe is the ultimate comfort meal. It is made with added chicken bites for some added protein, loaded with spinach for a nutrient boost, and infused with creamy Tuscan flavors. Ready in just under 30 minutes, this Tuscan chicken pasta recipe is going to be on your weekly menu because it will be a huge hit. Cheesy, garlicky, full of flavor, and a one-pot meal that’s perfect for everyone.
Why you will love this chicken Pasta dish
- Easy and complete meal: making this Tuscan chicken pasta is so easy. Not to mention it’s all made in one pot and you don’t have to worry about making any sides.
- Delicious: It’s packed with creamy goodness and flavor. Everyone will love this pasta recipe and promise to be a huge hit.
- Vegetarian-friendly: Make this without the chicken and you got yourself a vegetarian meal.
Ingredients you will need to make this creamy pasta
- Pasta of choice: use whatever kind of pasta you already have. You may use gluten-free if needed or lentil pasta for a healthier option.
- Chicken: go with chicken breast for a leaner and healthier option.
- Oil: we used olive oil. You may use avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Garlic cloves: we recommend you use fresh garlic cloves and not garlic powder. You may also use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- Italian seasoning: if you don’t have this handy, use 1/4 tsp of the following seasonings- basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sundried tomatoes: use the ones that are packed in oil and not the packets.
- Almond milk: if you don’t have almond milk, use any milk of choice.
- Flour: use any flour you have on hand, or use cornstarch.
- Fresh baby spinach: we prefer that you use fresh spinach. If you want to use frozen, you can but just thaw and drain first.
- Parmesan cheese: grate your own. You may sub this cheese with grated Romano Cheese.
How to make This Creamy and delicious Tuscan Chicken Pasta from scratch
- Boil and prepare pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente.
- Prepare and cook the chicken: Chop the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place it into a bowl. Stir in the oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook until cooked through for about 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the milk and flour until no visible lumps.
- Pour the milk mixture over the cooked chicken in the pan, and mix well to combine. Allow the sauce to bubble for a few minutes to thicken up. It should take no more than 3-4 minutes.
- Add spinach and cheese: Once the sauce is done, add spinach and stir until wilted. Add cooked pasta together with grated parmesan and stir to combine. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes and tips
- Pasta: use pasta of choice. Gluten-free, whole wheat, lentil pasta, or chickpea pasta.
- Chicken: we used chicken breast but you may use boneless thighs. Consider using shrimp instead of chicken if desired.
- Spinach: we recommend using fresh spinach. Frozen spinach can be used but thaw first and drain to remove excess water.
- You may use other veggies like kale.
- Use fresh garlic or replace it with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.
- Cook the pasta al dente since it will cook again with everything else to prevent having soft and soggy pasta.
- Store leftover chicken pasta in a container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- PLEASE NOTE: *****To make this dish healthier we used almond milk. But you can use any other milk, heavy cream, or whipping cream if you don’t mind it.****
Frequently asked questions
To make a healthy-ish creamy pasta sauce we recommend skippy any sort of heavy or whipping cream and use milk instead. To make a creamy pasta sauce, you will need a combination of oil/butter, cheese (parmesan or cream cheese), garlic for flavor, salt, pepper, any type of milk, cornstarch, or flour to thicken the sauce.
You may cook the chicken first in the same skillet until it is thoroughly cooked before adding the pasta. Pasta is usually cooked al dente ahead of time so that when your creamy chicken sauce is almost done cooking, you toss in the pasta with your remaining ingredients like cheese and let it cook together.
It depends on what you are making. If you are serving the chicken breast as a whole, you don’t need to cut it. But if the recipe calls for smaller chunks of chicken we recommend you cut them into smaller pieces.
Other pasta dishes to try
- Baked Feta Pasta with Shrimp
- Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad
- Easy Creamy Shrimp Pasta
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Easy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 oz short pasta gluten-free if needed, whole wheat, or lentil pasta
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil or use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
- 8 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
- 3 cups almond milk ( not sweetened) any other milk, or use lite coconut cream
- 2 tbsp gluten-free flour
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente.
- Chop chicken into 1-inch pieces and place into a bowl. Stir in the oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook until cooked through about 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the milk and flour until no visible lumps.
- Pour the milk mixture over the cooked chicken in the pan, and mix well to combine. Allow the sauce to bubble for a few minutes to thicken up. It should take no more than 3-4 minutes.
- Once the sauce is done, add spinach and stir until wilted.
- Add cooked pasta together with grated parmesan and stir to combine. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- NOTE: *****To make this dish healthier we used almond milk. But you can use any other milk, heavy cream, or whipping cream if you don’t mind it. Also, be careful not to use sweetened almond milk!!!!****
- Pasta: use pasta of choice. Gluten-free, whole wheat, lentil pasta, or chickpea pasta.
- Chicken: we used chicken breast but you may use boneless thighs. Consider using shrimp instead of chicken if desired.
- Spinach: we recommend using fresh spinach. Frozen spinach can be used but thaw first and drain to remove excess water.
- Use fresh garlic or replace it with 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.
- Cook the pasta al dente since it will cook again with everything else to prevent having soft and soggy pasta.
- Store leftover chicken pasta in a container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Veronica says
This was quick, easy and delicious! I used left over rotisserie chicken I had as a substitute and was worried that would take away from the quality but it came out great! I will defiantly be keeping this recipe to make again.
Rena says
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it
Cynthia Mitchell says
Yeah it was yum. Surprised with the almond milk – but thankful as my husband had recently realised he’s lactose intolerant. So this was perfect.
Rena says
Great! BTW a couple of my kids are lactose intolerant too and thankfully there are many lactose free milk out there now.
Bridget says
If I wanted to add some peppers, at what stage would I add them in? I’m just a beginner and I don’t know how long they would need to cook.
Rena says
Hi there. You can do this two ways. Either cook the peppers before the chicken and set them aside until you are ready to add the spinach, or you can cook the chicken first, then remove the chicken from the pan, cook the peppers with a bit of oil and bring the chicken back in and continue with the instructions.
Sherrie says
Made this for dinner tonight. It was Fabulous! After reading a few of the reviews, I added a little extra seasoning and some crushed red pepper flakes. It did take somewhere around 8 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but it may have been that I didn’t have the heat up high enough? Either way, my husband and I thought it was delish! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Rena says
Yes that could be the case. Glad you loved it
JOE says
MMMMMMM THAT SOME CREAMY AAAAH CHICHEN
Laura says
Can you use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Rena says
Yes you can
Gergana says
Ohh my goodness Rena, this recipe is so delicious and easy to make. It’s easy on the pocketbook too. Last but not least.. healthy too. All the ingredients go together so well. This is my first time using sundried tomatoes and I was impressed. This recipe gives you plenty of sauce, which is great. Nobody likes naked pasta. I will be sharing this recipe with all my friends. I added some red pepper flakes. Thanks again for this wonderful recipe and for making dinner time success and yummy!
Rena says
So awesome. I am so glad you liked it.
Jennifer williams says
Is this tinned coconut milk x
Rena says
Not the coconut milk you drink. The ones in the can that are liquidy and not thick cream
Shelley says
This looks amazing! And quick and easy to make on a weeknight. Can I substitute oat milk for almond milk?
Rena says
Yes you can
Kiane K Kellogg says
Just did this for dinner. Very very blan tasting. I added some sausage as well as chicken I put double and added some fresh vegetables like zucchini broccoli sweet peppers as well as bell pepper just for it to be a little fresher with ingredients. However it was still Bland so I just added some chili pepper more salt garlic and onion hopefully it’ll be great trying it now
Kalie says
My sauce didn’t get thick. I used almond flour
Annika says
Almond flour does not contain starch. You need a starchy flour to thicken sauces
Beck says
Ahh, I am in love, I spent a couple of years in and around Greece and love their authentic dishes, You remind me so much of the people and country.
Greg Handel says
Very tasty and not too heavy
Rena says
Thanks
Declan says
BLAND. And everyone saying yummy must of blasted it with salt or don’t know good food.
Blossom Smith says
Very good recipes. I find that the dishes turn out very well with your instructions!! Thank you very much
Rena says
Thank you
Susan Barrett says
Can any one tell me what a serving size is? 2 cups? thank you.
Rena says
For the pasta it would be 2 cups
MJ says
Loved this and keep coming back to it, great flavours.
Rena says
Thanks, MJ. This is a delicious one. We have to agree.
Jacob says
This looks really tasty, but can you make this recipe with a non-dairy milk replacement? My family doesn’t do so well with dairy. Thanks!
Rena says
Hi there. Yes, you can. We did use almond milk so you need to just replace the parmesan cheese with a dairy-free kind. They are now available at many stores.
Sarah says
Can I substitute the almond milk with 2% milk?
Rena says
Yes, you can.
Sherry says
We loved this dish. Easy and delicious.
Rena says
Thank you
Brianna says
I love this meal, and most of all my husband loves it. Its easy to make and cheap too. I’ve made this atleast 4 times since I found the recipe like a month ago lol. It’s great.
Nichelle says
Loved this dish!!!!! It is simple and easy without too many ingredients. The presentation is wonderful as well. I will be adding it to my book of recipes.
Rena says
Perfect!!!!
Kenneth Brose II says
It was kinda bland. I added more garlic more Italian seasoning more salt and pepper. Added nutmeg and oregano and some red pepper. After that it tasted very good.
Sara says
I was super stoked to try this recipe. It smelled awesome the whole time it was cooking. But it’s very very bland unfortunately. Even with adding more spices, it really doesn’t help. Pretty bummed. I was so excited to give it a try!
AitoKiko says
Same! I was so excited, and then I bit into it and it didn’t taste like anything. I thought I had Covid again. (That happened last time with Curry.)
angela says
I loved it, i really enjoyed this chicken pasta. i’m trying to stick with healthier pasta and this definitely did not disappoint me.
Rena says
Perfect!
Lindsey says
The family wasn’t wild about this one
Sarah Turner says
Delicious! I halved the sauce per my family’s preference.
Rena says
Perfect. Glad everyone loves it
RENA R MIKESELL says
So Good! I followed recipe exactly except Mini Penne. I felt the dried tomatoes sealed the deal.; fresh garlic; fresh spinach; Yummy. The nutrition is great also. This will be on my table again soon. Thank you!
Rena says
Great! I am so glad you loved it.
Debra Herbort says
Very good and very easy. Be sure to salt the chicken enough to make up for the added milk and flour – or taste and season again before serving.
Rena says
Thank you!