Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe that’s creamy, cheesy, and made in one pan with zero pre-cooking. Just toss it all in and bake!
Prefer to make dinner on the stovetop? Try this Chicken Orzo or Chicken Pasta instead!
author’s note
Dump-and-Bake Tuscan Chicken Pasta!
The combo of pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and spinach is one I’ll never get tired of. But tossing all those ingredients into one pan and letting the oven do the work? That I really never get tired of. This has quickly become one of my go-to dinner recipes because it’s easy, there are zero complaints, and clean-up is fast.
I just add uncooked pasta, uncooked chicken, and fresh spinach to a casserole dish and forget about it. While it bakes, there’s plenty of time to throw together an Italian Salad or my go-to Beet Goat Cheese Walnut Salad. Or…watch the latest episode of your favorite show. I’ll be honest, I usually do the latter.
Quick Tip
What to serve with Tuscan Chicken Pasta? I love this Olive Garden Salad, Garden Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Fruit Salad Recipe on the side!
Ingredients
Below are some of the ingredients in this Tuscan chicken pasta recipe along with notes.
- Sun-dried tomatoes with herbs: Use julienne-cut tomatoes with herbs for big flavor without extra seasoning.
- Baby spinach: Pre-washed saves time. Give it a quick chop so it wilts and blends in.
- Rotini pasta: Cooks evenly, holds the sauce well, and prevents clumping from flour.
- Chicken stock: If using broth, add extra seasoning.
- Whole milk: Creates the creamiest texture. 1% or 2% work but are less rich.
- Cheese: Freshly grate to prevent clumps. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
How To Make Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan. Ceramic or glass is best, but metal works too. Just note it can sometimes give the tomatoes a slightly metallic flavor.
- Add everything in. Dump uncooked pasta, flour, seasonings, butter, chicken stock or broth, and milk into the dish.
- Cover and bake.
- Add cheese. Remove foil, stir well, then mix in the cheese.
- Bake again. Return to the oven, then stir in tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan.
Tuscan Chicken Pasta Tips
- Seasonings: Don’t skip the salt and pepper. Since the pasta isn’t cooked in salted water, it needs more seasoning than usual.
- Pan size: Use a 9×13-inch pan or one that holds 14–16 cups. Smaller pans won’t cook everything evenly.
- Milk: You can use reduced-fat milk, but it won’t be as creamy. (Or try this healthy pasta bake.)
- Toppings: This dish is great on its own, but try topping it with fresh basil pesto, extra Parmesan, chopped herbs, a squeeze of lemon, or a little Dijon for added flavor.
Storage
Can You Freeze Tuscan Chicken Pasta?
Leftovers store well in the fridge for 3-4 days but may thicken over time.
Don’t freeze because the dairy can make it grainy and the pasta mushy.
More One Pot/Pan Recipes:
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
This Tuscan Chicken Pasta 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!
Equipment
Ingredients
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously grease a 9×13-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.
Recipe 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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 386kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.6g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 8.8g | Cholesterol: 70.7mg | Sodium: 390.7mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 7.9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love this pasta, but I would love to be able to make it in the slow cooker, has anyone tried this yet?
My kids, after giving it the evil eye and questioning me suspiciously about its contents, gobbled it up. Finally a win!!
Yay! Haha i’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I tried this last week and trust me, this is breath taking, and i can’t wait to try this again soon.
Anyways Thank you for adding a mouthwatering Pasta into my food list.
Appreciated
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Nike! 🙂
We really liked this, hope it tastes as good for the next couple of days. I had everything measured and prepped before I started and highly suggest you do that ahead of time makes it so much easier.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Judy! 🙂
As your sister, I cannot believe how easy this was! And how good it tasted! I will never stop making this!!
I am so happy to hear this! Thank you Callie! 🙂