This is our favorite Tuscan Chicken Pasta --full of flavor and made all in ONE pan. That's right -- toss uncooked chicken, uncooked pasta, and uncooked veggies together and bake to creamy and cheesy perfection!
PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Measure out milk and microwave for 45 seconds. Measure out chicken stock/broth and microwave for 30 seconds. Grate mozzarella cheese and set aside to get at room temperature.
CHICKEN: Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towel then dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt & pepper to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).
COMBINE: Add the following ingredients in this order to the greased pan: uncooked pasta, flour (sprinkle evenly on top), seasonings (remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, onion, & garlic powder), and salt/pepper to taste (I add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper), minced garlic, chicken broth/stock, milk, and butter (cut into 2 pieces). Stir well. Add the seasoned chicken in one even layer on top. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
BAKEAGAIN: Remove foil, and stir ingredients together really well. Add in mozzarella cheese and stir through again. Press pasta and chicken below the sauce. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 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 in the coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped spinach, and a handful (not all) of the Parmesan cheese. Gently stir to combine and wilt the spinach. Continue to mix, gradually adding in the rest of the Parmesan cheese while stirring. As you mix, the sauce will continue to thicken to a perfect creamy consistency! Enjoy immediately garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
STORAGE: Leftovers well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Note that 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 all of the dairy (cheese and milk) 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.
Notes
Note 1: Chicken: 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 small, 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: Rotini: This recipe works best with this specific 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: Chicken stock/broth: The better the stock, the more flavor this dish will have. We love and use Swanson® Chicken Stock. If using chicken broth, you may need a bit more seasoning.Note 4: Milk: Warm milk will heat quicker and ensure the sauce won't split--this happens when dairy is heated too rapidly. This is intended to be a creamy recipe, and we recommend whole milk, but you can use 1% or 2% (less creamy dish). Unfortunately, skim milk or a dairy milk alternative doesn't work the same in this recipe.Note 5: Tomatoes: 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 6: Parmesan cheese: Grab a block of Parmesan and grate it on the small holes of a grater. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese. Parmesan from the can will be too salty and won't melt into the sauce nicely.Note 7: Optional toppings: Check out the paragraph titled "Optional Toppings/Additions" in the blog post for ideas for jazzing or changing up this dish!