Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

5 from 8 votes

This Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe is a one-pan wonder! Just toss uncooked chicken, pasta, and veggies together, then bake until creamy, cheesy perfection. So easy and full of flavor!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $9.92

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray

Chicken

2 cups chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts, see note 1
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
Salt and pepper

Pasta Bake

2-1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta 8 ounces, see note 2
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups warm milk see note 3
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil see note 4
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Parmesan from the can won’t melt into the sauce nicely
Serving suggestions see note 5

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Microwave milk for 45 seconds, then microwave chicken stock for 30 seconds. Grate mozzarella cheese and set aside to get to room temperature.
Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towel, then dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
Add the following ingredients in this order to the greased pan: uncooked pasta, flour (sprinkle evenly on top), remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt/pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper), minced garlic, chicken stock, milk, and butter (cut into 2 pieces). Stir well. Add the seasoned chicken in an even layer on top. Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes.
Remove foil and stir ingredients together well. Add mozzarella and stir through again. Press pasta and chicken below the sauce. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake another 15 minutes or until pasta is tender (don’t over-bake or sauce will bake out; it should be pretty saucy at this point). Remove from oven and gently stir. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped spinach, and a handful (not all) of the Parmesan. Gently stir to combine and wilt the spinach. Continue to mix, gradually adding the rest of the Parmesan while stirring. As you mix, the sauce will continue to thicken. Enjoy immediately garnished with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Note 1: This is about 3/4 pound (13 oz.) of chicken tenders. Chicken breasts can also be used. Trim and discard fat and tendons. Be sure to chop the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces (measure after cutting to get 2 cups) so the chicken will cook through in the right amount of time.

Note 2: This recipe works best with rotini pasta—it’s the best at soaking everything up and bakes through perfectly in the time. Other pasta shapes may hide the flour so the dish won’t properly thicken. Check the package label for other pasta to be sure it has a similar boil time to rotini (9–11 minutes).

Note 3: Warm milk will heat quicker and ensure the sauce won’t split—this happens when dairy is heated too rapidly. This is a creamy recipe, and I recommend whole milk, but you can use 1% or 2% (less creamy dish). Unfortunately, skim milk or a dairy milk alternative don’t work the same in this recipe.

Note 4: Use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil and give them a quick coarse chop. Opt for tomatoes that are packed in oil with herbs for more flavor and no extra work on your end!

Note 5: Try some of these optional toppings! Fresh parsley, squeeze of lemon juice, and/or scoop of basil-pesto. Or check out the paragraph titled “Optional Toppings/Additions” in the blog post for ideas for jazzing or changing up this dish!

Storage: Leftovers store well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3–4 days. It does thicken and become less creamy as it sits. (The pasta continues to absorb the surrounding liquid.) Here is a great resource for how to reheat the casserole in the oven or microwave without drying it out. Because of the dairy in this dish, it isn’t a great candidate for freezing and thawing. The milk solids will separate as it thaws, resulting in a grainy texture with some separation. Additionally, the pasta bloats and becomes mushy.

Nutrition