I’m calling this creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta the pasta of summer! It has a bright, herbaceous taste from lots of fresh basil, sweet, chewy sun dried tomatoes, and a luscious cream sauce that perfectly coats every piece of pasta. For a dinner that’s on the table in just over 30 minutes, you get a ton of flavor for not a lot of effort.
We love to serve this with crusty bread for an easy Italian dinner that you’ll crave again and again.
Check out all of our easy pasta recipes, including these weeknight favorites that are bursting with fresh summer flavor: Chicken Pesto Pasta, Scallop Pasta With Corn, or this light and fresh Bruschetta Chicken Pasta.
Table of Contents
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Ingredient Notes
- Rigatoni: We recommend a long, short tube-shaped pasta for this one, such as rigatoni, ziti, fusilli, or penne pasta. The tubes help to trap some of the sauce!
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces. You can substitute with chicken thighs if you prefer!
- Dried oregano: We love the flavor this adds. You can also use Italian seasoning or dried thyme.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: To season everything!
- Extra virgin olive oil: To sauté the chicken in.
- Fresh basil, and lots of it: You definitely want fresh basil for this one!
- Garlic: Sautéed finely chopped.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: The main flavor in this pasta comes from sun-dried tomatoes, and lots of it.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: To add just a little heat.
- Tomato paste: This gives the pasta a deep, rich tomato taste.
- White wine: This adds a bright acidity to the sauce. You can substitute with chicken broth, if needed.
- Heavy cream: Can’t have a creamy pasta sauce without adding some heavy cream!
- Baby spinach: Gotta add a vegetable!
- Reserved pasta water: This helps to thicken the sauce with its starches from the pasta.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is added to the pasta and also sprinkled on top before serving!
- Flaky sea salt: For serving!
How To Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water.
- Season the chicken. Cut the chicken into small pieces, then season with dried oregano, Kosher salt, and black pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat.
- Brown the chicken. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet, then add chicken. Cook until browned and fully cooked, about 7-10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate or bowl.
- Sauté the aromatics. In the same pan, add chopped basil, garlic cloves, sun dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make the creamy sauce. Add tomato paste, white wine, and heavy cream, then stir well and reduce to thicken the sauce.
- Toss everything together, then serve! Add the cooked pasta, some of the reserved water, the chicken, fresh spinach, and grated Parmesan. Give it all a good toss, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately!
FAQs
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes, you can use any type of pasta you like. However, I recommend using a short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, or other small tube-shaped pasta so that it can absorb the sauce.
Can I make this dish vegetarian?
Absolutely! Completely omit the chicken, then add 2 teaspoons dried oregano to the cream sauce before adding in the cooked pasta.
How long do leftovers keep?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or cream if needed to bring back the creamy consistency.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t use heavy cream, be sure to use half-and-half or whole milk, not skim milk. Some creamy pasta recipes call for the use of cream cheese, but we think heavy cream gives the sauce a much smoother texture.
- If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach. Thaw it first, then drain and squeeze out all excess water and moisture.
- No sun-dried tomatoes? Try using ½-¾ cup of sun dried tomato pesto instead.
How To Serve
As with lots of pasta recipes, you’ll love our creamy Tuscan chicken pasta with a simple green salad, crusty bread to soak up the sauce, or roasted vegetables. A few of our favorites include this arugula salad, lemon kale caesar salad, or roasted broccolini.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegetarian: To make this pasta recipe vegetarian, simply omit the chicken. Add dried oregano to the pan when you add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Dried oregano: you can use fresh oregano or substitute with equal part dried thyme. But please, oh please, use fresh basil for the sauce!
- White wine: If you don’t have white wine, consider substituting with low-sodium chicken broth.
- Sun dried tomatoes: If you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, you can substitute with ½-¾ cup of sun-dried tomato pesto.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: To make this dish ahead of time, cook the pasta and chicken according to the recipe, but do not add the spinach. Cover and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or cream if needed to bring back the creamy consistency.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Cream-based sauces don’t freeze well, so we recommend enjoying this pasta fresh.
This just might be my favorite pasta of the summer! That sauce is indescribably creamy and boldly flavored — we simply can’t get enough.
If you make this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes
This Tuscan Chicken Pasta is one of my all-time favorite pasta recipes! It's got a creamy sun dried tomato sauce that's bursting with flavor from lots of fresh basil. A splash of white wine adds acidity, while heavy cream gives the sauce a rich, smooth texture. It's truly so delicious! We love to add chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work great too. Stir in fresh spinach, then serve with grated Parmesan cheese. A pasta lovers dream come true, perfect any night of the week!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 773kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta or similar pasta shape
- 1 lb chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp Kosher salt plus more for seasoning pasta
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed, leaves finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 4 cloves garlic, finely choppe
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil, roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups heavy cream or half-and-half or whole milk
- 3 oz fresh baby spinach
- ½-1 cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus more for serving
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with a few tablespoons of Kosher salt. Add pasta, then cook according to package directions until al dente, about 11 minutes. Reserve about ½-1 cup of cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
- Season the chicken. Place chicken in a large mixing bowl, then season with 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp Kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper. Toss well to thoroughly coat.
- Brown the chicken. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet with deep sides. When hot, add seasoned chicken and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides and fully cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken to a plate or bowl.
- Sauté aromatics. To the same skillet, heat an additional 3 Tbsp olive oil in the skillet (or even better, 3 Tbsp sun dried tomato oil). When hot, add 3 cups chopped basil, then cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 4 chopped garlic cloves, ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, then stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Add 3 Tbsp tomato paste, then use a spoon to break up and dissolve. Add ½ cup white wine, then allow to cook off for 1-2 minutes. Pour in 1½ cups of heavy cream, then use the spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and stir well.
- Finish with the pasta. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce, along with the chicken, 3 oz spinach, ½ cup of reserved pasta water, and ½ cup grated Parmesan. Stir well, add a bit more pasta water if wanted, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve in large bowls with additional grated Parmesan and basil leaves. Sprinkle each bowl with a pinch of flaky sea salt, then serve immediately!
Video
Notes
- To make-ahead: To make this dish ahead of time, cook the pasta and chicken according to the recipe, but do not add the spinach. Cover and refrigerate the dish for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or cream if needed to bring back the creamy consistency.
- Leftovers and storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Cream-based sauces don’t freeze well, so we recommend enjoying this pasta fresh.
Nutrition
Calories: 773kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3162IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 3mg
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Photography by Jo Harding.
Soooo delicious!! My husband made this and he’s still getting comfortable in the kitchen- said it was super easy to manage. Cream sauce isn’t too heavy- perfect flavor! 10/10 ✨✨✨✨
Thanks so much, Sarah! Agree, love that the sauce is juuuuust thick enough! xo, Ari
Fantastic! This is flavour packed and the whole family loves it plus it was so easy to make 🙂
I love all that fresh basil! So flavorful. Thanks, Marie! xo, Ari