Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

This Tuscan chicken pasta tangles al dente penne with golden seared chicken, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and wilted spinach in a silky parmesan cream sauce. It tastes like a restaurant plate but comes together in one pan in about 35 minutes. The magic is in the layering: sear the chicken for flavour, build the sauce in the same pan, and finish the cheese off the heat so it stays glossy.

Why you'll love this

• On the table in about 35 minutes, ideal for a weeknight
• A creamy parmesan sauce cut through with tangy, chewy sun-dried tomatoes
• Seared chicken and wilted spinach turn it into a satisfying one-bowl meal
• One pan, easily scaled, and forgiving with the seasoning and veg

Key ingredients & swaps

• Penne pasta — the ridged tubes catch and hold the creamy sauce; cook it just to al dente, since it keeps softening in the hot sauce, and save a cup of the starchy water before draining
• Chicken breasts — the protein; season well and, for even cooking, slice thick breasts in half horizontally so they sear quickly and stay juicy rather than drying out in the middle
• Sun-dried tomatoes — the tangy, savoury backbone that balances the cream; oil-packed jarred ones are softest, and a spoon of their oil for cooking the garlic adds extra depth
• Garlic — the aromatic base; cook it just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, because burnt garlic turns bitter and will taint the whole sauce
• Heavy cream — what makes the sauce rich and velvety; don't swap in milk or low-fat cream, which can curdle and won't thicken the same way
• Parmesan — thickens and seasons the sauce with savoury depth; grate it finely and stir it in off or over low heat so it melts smooth instead of clumping or splitting

How to make it (step by step)

1. 

   1

   Cook the pasta

   Boil the penne in well-salted water until just al dente, then reserve a cup of the cooking water before draining. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, and that starchy water is your tool for loosening it later.

2. 

   2

   Sear the chicken

   Season the chicken and sear in olive oil over medium-high heat until golden on both sides and cooked through (165F at the centre), about 5 to 7 minutes a side depending on thickness. Set it aside to rest so the juices redistribute before slicing.

3. 

   3

   Start the sauce

   In the same pan, warm a little oil and the garlic just until fragrant, about 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken. Those bits are pure flavour, so don't let the garlic catch and burn.

4. 

   4

   Build the cream sauce

   Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze, then add the cream, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

5. 5

   Finish off the heat

   Lower the heat and stir in the finely grated parmesan a little at a time until smooth and glossy. Adding cheese over high heat is the main cause of a grainy, split sauce, so keep it gentle.

6. 6

   Combine and wilt

   Slice the rested chicken, then toss the drained pasta and chicken through the sauce, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until it's silky and coats every piece. Stir in the spinach at the end and cook just until it wilts, then taste and adjust the seasoning.