Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

# Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta: A Weeknight Winner That Actually Hits Your Macros

There's a reason Tuscan chicken keeps showing up on every food blog and restaurant menu — it's rich, satisfying, and tastes like it took far more effort than it did. This version leans into all of that while keeping the protein high and the process straightforward.

What You'll Need

Serves 4 | Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins

For the chicken and sauce:

• 600g chicken breast, sliced into strips
• 200g sun-dried tomatoes (drained if in oil), roughly chopped
• 150g fresh spinach
• 200ml double cream
• 150ml chicken stock
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30g Parmesan, finely grated

For the pasta:

• 320g penne or rigatoni (dry weight)

How to Make It

Start by bringing a large pot of well-salted water to the boil for your pasta. Cook according to packet instructions, then drain — reserving a cup of the pasta water before you do.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan over a medium-high heat. Season your chicken strips with salt, pepper, and the smoked paprika, then cook for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Set aside on a plate.

In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for about a minute until fragrant — don't let it burn. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning, stirring everything together for another minute or two.

Pour in the chicken stock and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the double cream. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer gently for 4–5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add the spinach and stir until wilted.

Return the chicken to the pan, add your drained pasta, and toss everything together. If the sauce is thicker than you'd like, loosen it with a splash of that reserved pasta water. Finish with the grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

What Makes This Work Nutritionally

This dish is built around high-quality protein from chicken breast — each serving lands at roughly 45–50g of protein, which makes it genuinely useful for anyone tracking their intake or trying to support muscle maintenance.

The sun-dried tomatoes bring more than flavour. They're a concentrated source of lycopene, an antioxidant linked to a range of health benefits, and they add a natural sweetness that balances the richness of the cream.

Spinach might seem like a token addition, but wilting a full 150g into the sauce meaningfully boosts the iron, folate, and vitamin K content of the meal without changing the texture or taste in any noticeable way.

Double cream does make this a higher-fat dish — that's not a problem, it's just context. The fat here contributes to satiety and helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins from the spinach. If you're working to lower the overall calorie count, swapping half the cream for extra stock works reasonably well without losing the sauce entirely.

Swaps and Variations Worth Knowing

Chicken thighs work brilliantly here if you prefer them — they're slightly higher in fat but add more flavour, and they're harder to overcook.

For a higher-carb day, increase the pasta to 400g across the batch. For a lower-carb version, swap the pasta for courgette noodles or serve over cauliflower rice — the sauce is substantial enough to carry it.

Prawns are a great protein swap if you fancy a change. Add them raw in place of the chicken and they'll cook through in just 3–4 minutes.

A pinch of chilli flakes added with the garlic lifts the whole dish if you like a bit of heat.

Practical Takeaway

This is a meal-prep friendly recipe — it stores well in the fridge for up to three days and reheats easily with a small splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Make a full batch on a Sunday and you've got lunches or dinners sorted without any additional effort mid-week.

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