This Creamy Tuscan chicken pasta is a flavour explosion, with grilled tender chicken, fried sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes in a rich and creamy tomato sauce. Perfect for a comforting meal on a cozy night or for a friend's dinner party. It all comes together in just 40 minutes.
Treat yourself to this one-pot white sauce pasta recipe. If you love pasta as much as I do, this Spinach and Chicken Lasagna recipe is for you!
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Why make this recipe?
Deliciously Grilled Chicken: Perfectly seasoned and juicy seared chicken adds a rich flavour to the dish.
Creamy Sauce: A rich, velvety "peach sauce" made with cream and sun-dried tomatoes, which makes an absolutely irresistible and comforting base.
Ingredients
Find the ingredients for the pasta, chicken, and marinade below.
- Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs work best because they stay juicy and tender, though skinless chicken breast fillet slices evenly.
- Spaghetti: I used spaghetti, but any long pasta works. Linguine or penne are great choices, depending on what you prefer or have on hand.
- Italian Seasoning: The seasoning is a mix of salt, chilli flakes, paprika powder, oregano powder, crushed Italian herbs, black pepper, and garlic powder. Skip red chilli flakes if you can’t handle heat.
- Sausages (optional): I used frozen chicken sausages. Pepperoni or salami also works well for this recipe.
- Oil: You can use olive oil or any neutral-tasting vegetable oil for this recipe.
The creamy sauce is a key part of this scrumptious dish. Detailed ingredients are listed below; you can easily tweak them to suit your taste.
- Butter: I used salted butter for more rich flavour.
- Flour: To make the roux.
- Milk: Use full-fat milk to make the sauce. You can use non-dairy milk as well.
- Cream: Heavy cream makes a rich, creamy, and saucy pasta sauce.
- Chicken stock cube/ bouillon: Helps in boosting chicken flavour.
- Tomato paste: I used homemade tomato paste; find the recipe here. You can use store-bought as well.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Use the sun-dried tomatoes that are dipped in oil and found in jars. (Use the oil from the sundried tomatoes in the sauce for extra flavour.)
- Cheese: You can use shredded cheddar or Parmesan.
How To Make This Recipe?
The steps are simple: prep the pasta, cook the chicken, make the sauce, and toss it all together. Check out the detailed instructions below!
Boil the pasta: Boil pasta as per instructions on the packet in salted water. Save ½ cup of pasta water for later use in the recipe and drain the remaining. Transfer hot pasta to cold water. Apply a little oil on pasta and set it aside. (Add plenty of salt to the water so the pasta is not bland.)
- Mix all seasoning ingredients in a bowl and divide into two halves.
- Marinate the chicken breast with one-half of the seasoning and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Then, pan-fry seasoned chicken and add sliced sausage ( optional) in the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through. Flip halfway. Do not overcook.
- Remove the chicken fillet to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then cut into thin slices and set aside.
- Melt the butter and oil in a pan. Add flour, stir well until flour is toasted.
- Gradually add milk and stir constantly to avoid lumping. Stir until smooth and thickened. Next, add cream and remaining seasoning, chicken stock cube, tomato paste, and sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Stir gently until everything is combined.
- Now, add sliced grilled chicken and fried sausages. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with saved pasta water. (We need a flowy consistency.)
- Add the boiled spaghetti and cheese. Mix gently and cook until the cheese is melted and the pasta is thoroughly heated.
- Serve hot, topped with more sundried tomatoes.
Variations
Veggie Addition: Try this recipe with vegetables like broccoli, corn, cherry tomatoes, or baby spinach.
Add Mushrooms: Substitute the sausage with mushrooms.
Pasta Options: Long pasta like fettuccine or linguine works well. For short pasta, try penne or rigatoni. Adjust the sauce consistency by using the reserved pasta water.
Serving Variation: Instead of mixing the chicken with the pasta, you can serve grilled chicken on top of the pasta on individual servings.
Expert tips
Pasta Tip: Boil your pasta for 1 minute less than as mentioned on the package. Add enough salt to the water so the pasta is not bland.
Chicken Cuts: I have tested this recipe with both skinless chicken breasts and thigh meat. Both cuts work well and stay juicy. Chicken breast offers a better presentation with more even slices and can be served sliced right on top.
Italian Seasoning: The seasoning is on the spicier side and so good. To save time, you can use store-bought Italian seasoning too.
The Sauce: Keep the sauce at a creamy consistency so the pasta stays moist. Always adjust the thickness by adding saved pasta water before mixing in the pasta.
Reheating: Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat the pasta on the stove or in the microwave. Add a splash of milk or water to prevent it from drying.
FAQS
Sundried tomatoes add a tangy, unique flavour. If you have run short of it, use extra tomato paste.
Add some saved pasta water or milk. Mix well and reheat to make it loose and juicy.
My other similar recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g spaghetti noodles , or other long pasta
Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoon paprika powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed Italian herbs
- ½ -1 teaspoon chilli flakes, skip if you can’t handle heat.
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken
- 375 g boneless chicken thigh, or chicken breast cut into fillet
- 3 nos chicken sausages , sliced, optional
- 2 tablespoons oil , to fry
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon oil, from sundried tomatoes jar
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup cream
- ½ chicken stock cube
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste, find recipe here
- ¼ cup 4 sun-dried tomatoes halves , sliced, extra for topping
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
- ½ cup water saved from boil spaghetti, use if needed to adjust the consistency.
Instructions
- Boil pasta as per instructions on packet in salted water. Save ½ cup pasta water for later use in the recipe and drain the remaining. Transfer hot pasta to cold water. Apply little oil on pasta and set aside.
- Mix all seasoning ingredients in a bowl and divide in two halves.
For chicken
- Marinate the chicken breast with one-half of the seasoning and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Then, pan-fry the chicken and add sliced sausage ( optional) in oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Flip halfway. Do not overcook.
- Remove the chicken fillets to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then cut into thin slices and set aside.
For Sauce
- Melt the butter and oil in a pan. Add flour, stir well until flour is toasted.
- Gradually add milk and keep stirring until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Add cream, remaining seasoning, chicken stock cube, tomato paste, and sliced sundried tomatoes. Stir gently until everything is combined.
- Then add sliced chicken and sausages. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with saved pasta water as needed. (We need a flowy consistency.)
- Finally, add your boiled spaghetti and cheese. Mixed with the help of two spatulas.
- Top with more sun-dried tomatoes and serve hot.
Notes
Cooking Pro-Tips
- Al Dente Pasta: Boil pasta for one minute less than the package directions for the best texture. Add plenty of salt to the water.
- Chicken Choice: Use thighs for extra juiciness or breasts for clean, beautiful slices.
- Reheating: Use a splash of milk or water when reheating to keep the sauce from drying out.
Variations
- Veggie options: Add different veggies to pasta, like broccoli, corn, cherry tomatoes, or baby spinach.
- Alternatives: Swap the sausage for sautéed mushrooms.
- Pasta Shape: Use long noodles (fettuccine/linguine) or short shapes (penne/rigatoni). Use pasta water to perfect the sauce consistency.
Sandy says
I made these for a party and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing.