Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

A rich and indulgent pasta dish featuring sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and seared chicken in a Parmesan cream sauce.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Creamy Tuscan chicken pasta is the kind of dinner that people order in restaurants and assume is complicated. It isn’t. It is seared chicken, a quick cream sauce made in the same pan, sun-dried tomatoes for sweet tang, spinach for color and parmesan for salt and depth, all tossed with penne.

The key is that everything happens in one skillet, in order. The chicken is cooked first and sliced. The sauce is built in the same pan, which keeps all the browned flavor. Then the pasta and chicken are tossed back in at the end, with a splash of pasta water to bring the sauce together.

It serves four, and it takes about 40 minutes from start to finish.

Read this first

1. Reserve a little pasta water before draining. It loosens the sauce.
2. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in.
3. Rest the chicken before slicing so it stays juicy.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 25 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz Penne pasta
• 2 Chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups Heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups Fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Cook the penne pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining. Look for: Pasta that is firm to the bite, and a mug of cloudy, starchy water.
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and pan-sear the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until fully cooked through. Remove and slice. Look for: A golden-brown crust on the chicken, white inside with no pink, and slices that stay juicy.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Look for: Garlic that smells fragrant, with no brown edges.
4. Pour in the heavy cream and add the sun-dried tomatoes, simmering for 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Look for: A cream sauce at a gentle simmer that coats the back of a spoon.
5. Stir in the parmesan cheese until melted, then add the spinach and cook until wilted. Look for: A smooth sauce, and spinach that has collapsed into dark green ribbons.
6. Toss in the drained pasta and sliced chicken. Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Look for: Glossy pasta coated in sauce, with chicken evenly distributed.
7. Serve immediately garnished with extra grated Parmesan. Look for: A creamy, glossy dish that is neither dry nor soupy.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 670
• Fat: 44g
• Saturated Fat: 25g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 6g
• Protein: 39g
• Sodium: 440mg
• Cholesterol: 180mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; loosen the sauce with a splash of milk or reserved pasta water when reheating.
• Not for Freezing: Cream-based sauces like this one tend to separate when frozen, so it's best enjoyed within a few days.
• Best Fresh: Serve immediately after tossing — the sauce is silkiest right off the heat.

Cook It With Me

Boil the pasta

Cook the 12 oz of penne in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set it aside.

Sear the chicken

Season the 2 chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side, until it is cooked through (165 F). If the breasts are thick, pound or slice them in half first. Move them to a board, let them rest for a few minutes and slice.

Garlic

In the same skillet, lower the heat to medium and add the 3 minced garlic cloves. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Cream and tomatoes

Pour in the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and add the 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Parmesan and spinach

Stir in the 1/2 cup of parmesan until it melts. Add the 3 cups of spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Combine

Add the drained pasta and the sliced chicken. Toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta water.

Serve

Serve immediately, with extra grated parmesan on top.

The Ingredients, One by One

Penne

The tubes catch the sauce. Cook it to al dente, because it continues to soften in the sauce.

Chicken breasts

Two breasts feed four with the pasta. If they are very thick, slice them in half horizontally, so they cook evenly.

Heavy cream

1 1/2 cups gives a rich sauce. Heavy cream is stable and resists curdling.

Sun-dried tomatoes

Oil-packed ones are soft and ready to use. Chop them small.

Fresh spinach

Three cups wilts to almost nothing. Baby spinach cooks in under a minute.

Parmesan

Grated fresh, it melts into the cream and thickens it. Pre-grated cheese can be gritty.

Garlic

Three cloves, added at the end so it doesn’t burn.

The Technique Behind It

Why the same pan

The chicken leaves browned bits behind. The cream loosens them and carries their flavor into the sauce.

Why pasta water

The starch in it helps the sauce cling to the pasta and keeps it smooth.

Why a gentle simmer

Cream sauces turn grainy and oily if boiled hard, especially after cheese is added.

How Do You Know the Chicken Is Done?

Check the thickest part with a thermometer.

Check	What you see	Notes
Temperature	165 F	The USDA safe temperature for chicken.
Color	White inside, no pink	The simplest check.
Juices	Clear when pierced	A good sign.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Boiling the cream The sauce can split.
• Overcooking the chicken It dries out.
• Adding cold cream to a hot pan The temperature shock can cause curdling.
• Forgetting the pasta water You can’t loosen the sauce.
• Overcooking the pasta It turns mushy.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce is grainy	Heat too high	Take it off the heat and whisk in a splash of cream.
Sauce is too thick	It tightened	Add pasta water.
Sauce is thin	Not simmered enough	Simmer for a minute more.
Chicken is dry	Overcooked	Pound it thinner and check early.
Dish is bland	Needs salt	Add salt and a squeeze of lemon.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Penne	Pasta	Rigatoni, fusilli or fettuccine work.
Chicken breasts	Protein	Chicken thighs or shrimp work.
Heavy cream	Sauce	Half and half works with low heat.
Sun-dried tomatoes	Tang	Roasted red peppers work.
Spinach	Greens	Kale works, with more time.
Parmesan	Cheese	Pecorino works.

Plan Ahead

• Prep ahead: Slice the chicken ahead if you like.
• Fridge: Up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Gently, with a splash of cream or water.
• Freezer: Not recommended.

What to Serve With It

Serve with a green salad and crusty bread. A glass of white wine goes well.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.