Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Creamy Tuscan chicken pasta is one of the best things I've ever tasted. It has an amazingly creamy garlic and sundried tomato sauce with slightly crispy chicken bits, spinach and loads of parmesan. It's also ready in 30 minutes, so you can tuck into a creamy bowl of goodness in no time.

Juicy chicken and plump sun-dried tomatoes smothered in a creamy white sauce with loads of parmesan — I mean, what's not to like? If you've been on Skinny Spatula before, you may already know that creamy sauces are my kryptonite, so I make them more often than I should.

This creamy Tuscan chicken pasta is in a league of its own. The creamy sauce is garlicky and infused with the flavour of sundried tomatoes, plus some white wine for good measure. I also add baby spinach and loads of grated parmesan to dial the deliciousness way up.

Besides being beyond tasty, this creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta is also ready in just 30 minutes.

What goes into Tuscan chicken pasta?

You only need a handful of ingredients to make the best pasta dish that's great for those moments you need a treat or for date night.

Chicken

I use chicken boneless and skinless chicken thighs to make this pasta, but you can use diced chicken breast or tenders if you want. The thighs have darker meat that remains juicy even if you fry it until golden, while the breast will be drier.

Sundried tomatoes

Sundried tomatoes are an essential ingredient in this recipe, so try to get quality ones if possible. If your sundried tomatoes are in oil, drain them well and then pat them dry to remove the excess oil.

Cream

You'll need double (heavy) cream for this recipe if you want to obtain a heavenly creamy sauce. Yes, single cream (half and half) is better for you, but we're talking treats here, so use the good stuff for the best sauce.

Dry white wine

Any dry white wine would work in this pasta, with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio being two great options. If you don't want to use wine, substitute it with the same amount of chicken stock.

Pasta

I used orecchiette because I really love their shape for this kind of creamy sauce, but any other shape of pasta would do.

How do you make it?

Start by cooking the pasta according to the instructions on the package. You want it to be al dente, and remember that it will continue to absorb the sauce once you toss it in, so don't overcook it.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until slightly golden. I like it to be a bit on the crispier side, so you should adjust this time to your preference.

When the chicken is done to your liking, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Use the same pan to make the sauce (don't worry if there are some chicken scraps on the bottom).

Melt the butter and gently fry the garlic and sundried tomatoes for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates.

This would be a good moment to scrape any bits of chicken from the bottom of the pan with your spoon.

Stir in the spinach and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until it wilts. Add the double cream and cook for another minute until the sauce thickens.

Transfer the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir it in. Add the cooked pasta and toss it well until it's well-coated in the sauce.

You can add some pasta water if the sauce looks too dry. Next, stir in the parmesan and season to taste. Serve with some extra parmesan on top if you like.

Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken after you finish cooking, so it's a good idea to leave it a bit thinner when you turn off the heat. After five minutes or so, it will cool down to the perfect consistency, even though it may look runny when you divide the pasta into bowls.

If you liked this creamy Tuscan chicken pasta, check out some of my other easy creamy pasta recipes:

Creamy Whisky Pasta with Smoked Salmon

Chicken Pasta with Creme Fraiche and Capers

Creamy Mushroom Marsala Pasta

Easiest Ever Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

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