This Tuscan Chicken Penne Pasta is a delicious comfort food pasta dish with a white sauce and all kinds of delicious things added in like chicken, sun dried tomatoes, bacon, spinach and lots of cheese! It has big flavors, and the prep time is pretty minimal at just about 30 minutes. It’s perfect to serve as a weeknight dinner.
You might also like to try our bacon cheeseburger pasta, tik tok baked feta pasta and creamy tomato sausage rigatoni. We are big fans of pasta for dinner at our house!
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 for Tuscan chicken penne pasta is a family favorite and it’s restaurant worthy!
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:
- Pasta: Use any short pasta such as penne or ziti. And try spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine too!
- Bacon: Cooked bacon is going to give your pasta a great smoky flavor.
- Spinach: Use fresh baby spinach leaves.
- Sun Dried Tomato: Use the julienne strips packed in oil (in a jar, drained well).
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of sodium in the recipe.
- White Wine: A dry white wine is perfect (such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc).
- All Purpose Flour: This is used as a thickening agent for the sauce (can sub cornstarch).
- Milk: Use whole milk or half and half for best results with a nice and thick sauce.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: I highly recommend that you don’t substitute something lighter. The heavy cream will be great for the sauce.
- Chicken Broth: I like to use the low sodium broth so I can control the sodium in the dish.
- Seasonings: Onion powder, garlic powder, fresh garlic, fresh parsley, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cheese: You’ll be using finely grated Parmesan cheese and shredded Mozzarella cheese.
How to make Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
First, you’ll get the pasta cooking, and then cook the bacon in a large pot. The bacon is set aside. Then you’ll cook the chicken in the same pot, and then cut it into slices. The chicken is set aside.
Next, you’ll make the creamy Tuscan sauce in the same pot. To that pot, you’ll then add spinach, chicken, sun dried tomato, some of the bacon and all of the pasta. Stir to combine.
Pour the pasta mixture 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.
Recipe Tips:
- Consider adding artichoke hearts, fresh basil and/or sliced fresh mushrooms.
- If the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like it to be, give it a chance. It will thicken upon baking and standing.
- To make this pasta vegetarian, leave out the chicken and bacon, and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
- Leftover Tuscan chicken penne pasta can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
- If you are re-heating the leftovers, plan to stir in a little bit of half and half to get it nice and creamy again. The pasta tends to soak up the sauce.
It’s a bit rich, so this Tuscan Chicken Penne Pasta 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:
Tuscan Chicken Penne Pasta
Ingredients
PASTA:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 ounces penne or ziti
- 5 ounces bacon slices
- 2 cups (tightly packed) baby spinach
- ½ cup julienned sun dried tomato, drained (and roughly chopped)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh 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 dry white wine (pinot grigiot or sauvignon blanc)
- 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 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.
SERVE:
- Let the pasta dish stand for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, if desired.