This Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake is a delicious comfort food pasta dish with a white sauce and all kinds of delicious things added in.
If you’re looking for the most amazing pasta dish ever (and a break from any kind of diet you might be on), then this is the recipe for you. It’s the kind of pasta having you desiring seconds. And it’s the kind of pasta you’ll be looking forward to eating for lunch tomorrow because the leftovers are amazing.
This recipe comes from RecipeTin Eats Dinner, a new cookbook by popular blogger Nagi Maehashi. Imagine having 150 new ideas for what to make for dinner! We love this cookbook so much. It’s the best cookbook I’ve seen in such a long time. I want to make every recipe. The photos are phenomenal. And I’m in love with Nagi’s dog, who makes many appearances in the book! If you buy just one new cookbook this year, this should be it!
Here are a few family-friendly dinner recipes you will want to make (from the book):
- House Special Glazed Meatloaf
- Teriyaki Beef Bowls
- One-Pot Sausage Meatball Pasta
- Garlic Bread Pizza
- 3-Minute Double Smash Burgers
- Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
- Crazy Crispy No-Oil Chicken
- Nachos of Your Dreams
- Mexican Shredded Beef
- Pork Ribs with BBQ Sauce
- Chicken Ragu
Ingredients needed:
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- pasta (penne or ziti)
- bacon
- fresh baby spinach
- sun-dried tomato strips packed in oil
- fresh parsley
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- unsalted butter
- garlic cloves
- white wine
- all purpose flour
- whole milk
- heavy whipping cream
- low sodium chicken broth
- onion powder and garlic powder
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
How to make Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
PREPARE THE PASTA:
PREPARE THE BACON:
COOK THE CHICKEN:
MAKE THE TUSCAN SAUCE:
Melt the butter in the same pot, still on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the wine, stir, then simmer rapidly for 2 minutes or until mostly evaporated. Lower the heat to medium, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Switch to a whisk. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk- the mixture will thicken. Once the flour and milk are combined, add the cream and chicken broth. Whisk until lump-free. Bring to a simmer and stir regularly with a wooden spoon for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.
Stir in the onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and ⅔ of both the Parmesan and mozzarella. Once the cheese melts, the sauce should be thick and creamy.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Pour into a 13×9-inch baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, followed by the mozzarella and bacon. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Let the pasta dish stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
The creamy white sauce, the cheeses and all of the flavorful embellishments in this baked pasta dish make it stand out as an excellent pasta dinner.
It’s a bit rich, so this Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake is the kind of meal you make only once in a while. It’s one to look forward to. Everyone at your kitchen table will fall in love. Enjoy!
The Best Pasta Recipes:
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
- Pappardelle Bolognese
- Tomato- Cream Cheese Pasta
- Pizza Casserole
- White Chicken Lasagna
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake
Ingredients
PASTA:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 ounces penne or ziti
- 5 ounces bacon slices
- 2 cups (tightly packed) baby spinach
- ½ cup sun-dried tomato strips in oil, drained (and roughly chopped)
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, for serving (optional)
CHICKEN:
- 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can sub breasts, if desired)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
TUSCAN SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup chardonnay (or another white wine)
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, heated to "hot"
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2½ cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
PREPARE THE PASTA:
- In a large pot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil with the salt. Cook the pasta as per the package directions, then drain and let cool.
PREPARE THE BACON:
- Lay the bacon in an unheated large pot (no oil needed) over medium-high heat. Cook for 3 minutes until golden, then turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes or until golden. Place on a paper towel-lined plate then chop into ½-inch pieces. Discard the bacon fat in the pot.
COOK THE CHICKEN:
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Using the same pot over medium-high, melt the butter. Cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate. Rest for 5 minutes and cut into ½-inch thick slices.
MAKE THE TUSCAN SAUCE:
- Melt the butter in the same pot, still on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add the wine, stir, then simmer rapidly for 2 minutes or until mostly evaporated. Lower the heat to medium, add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Switch to a whisk. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk- the mixture will thicken. Once the flour and milk are combined, add the cream and chicken broth. Whisk until lump-free. Bring to a simmer and stir regularly with a wooden spoon for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon.Stir in the onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and ⅔ of both the Parmesan and mozzarella. Once the cheese melts, the sauce should be thick and creamy.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
- Stir in the spinach, chicken, sun-dried tomato, most of the bacon (reserve some for topping) and pasta. Pour into a 13x9-inch baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, followed by the mozzarella and bacon. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
SERVE:
- Let the pasta dish stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.