Here’s a rich, comforting, and flavorful recipe for Tuscan Chicken with Orecchiette Pasta — tender chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce, all nestled in those perfect little pasta “ears.” 🇮🇹🍗🍝
🍝 Tuscan Chicken with Orecchiette Pasta
🧾 Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the chicken:
-
2–3 chicken breasts or thighs, boneless & skinless, cut into strips or bite-size pieces
-
Salt & black pepper
-
1 tsp Italian seasoning
-
1 tbsp olive oil
-
1 tbsp butter
For the sauce:
-
3 cloves garlic, minced
-
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & sliced
-
1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
-
½ cup chicken broth
-
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
-
2 cups baby spinach
-
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Pasta:
-
300 g (10 oz) orecchiette pasta
-
Salted water for boiling
🔥 Instructions
1. Cook the pasta:
-
Boil orecchiette in salted water until al dente (check the package time).
-
Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Cook the chicken:
-
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
-
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.
-
Cook chicken until golden and cooked through (5–7 min). Remove and set aside.
3. Make the Tuscan sauce:
-
In the same pan, add a bit more oil if needed.
-
Sauté garlic for 30 seconds.
-
Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 minute.
-
Pour in cream and chicken broth. Stir and simmer 3–4 min.
-
Add Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and stir until sauce thickens slightly.
-
Stir in spinach and let it wilt (1–2 min).
4. Bring it all together:
-
Add the cooked chicken back into the sauce.
-
Add drained orecchiette pasta.
-
Toss everything gently to coat. If needed, add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
-
Adjust salt, pepper, and cheese to taste.
🌿 Garnish Ideas
-
Fresh basil or parsley
-
Extra grated Parmesan
-
Cracked black pepper
💡 Tips
-
Want more depth? Add a splash of white wine before adding the cream.
-
Use grilled or rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
-
Replace spinach with kale for more texture, or add mushrooms for umami.