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# Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake
- URL: https://chefnfood.com/recipes/creamy-tuscan-chicken-pasta-bake/
- Published: 2026-10-26T21:12:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T21:12:26.000Z
- Description: Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a garlic cream sauce over pasta, baked until the top browns. The dish people request for their birthday.
- Author: Chris Smith
- Tags: Family Meals, chicken, pasta, make-ahead, #time-55, #serves-6, #difficulty-medium, #featured

Prep20 min

Cook35 min

Total55 min

Servings6

DifficultyMedium

Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and a garlic cream sauce over pasta, baked until the top browns. The dish people request for their birthday.

## Ingredients

- 1 lb penne or rigatoni
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Fresh basil

## Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta **2 minutes short** of the package's al dente time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain. It will finish cooking in the oven, and pasta cooked fully now turns to mush later.
3. Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt, the pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Cook the chicken 6–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked to **165°F**. Transfer to a plate.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 minute.
5. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
6. Add the cream and remaining ½ tsp salt. Simmer 4–5 minutes until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Stir in ¾ cup of the Parmesan until smooth, then the spinach until wilted.
7. Return the chicken, add the drained pasta, and fold everything together. Loosen with pasta water if it looks tight — it should be slightly saucier than you think it needs, since the oven will absorb some.
8. Top with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan. Bake 15–18 minutes until bubbling, then broil 2 minutes for a browned top.
9. Rest 5 minutes before serving. It will be molten.

## Chef’s Take

The undercooked pasta is the non-negotiable step. Pasta keeps absorbing liquid for as long as there's liquid and heat, so anything baked needs to come out of the pot firm. The other detail that separates this from a heavy version: use the oil the sun-dried tomatoes were packed in as part of your cooking fat. It's already infused, it's free, and it costs you nothing to use.

**Pro tip:** reserved pasta water is starchy, and starch is an emulsifier. A splash of it will pull a broken or greasy cream sauce back together faster than adding more cream will.

## Substitutions

- **Chicken breast:** works; cut smaller and watch it closely, since it dries faster than thigh.
- **Half-and-half** instead of cream: usable, but add 1 tbsp flour with the garlic to help it thicken and don't let it boil hard.
- **No sun-dried tomatoes:** roasted red peppers, drained and sliced, give a different but good result.
- **Vegetarian:** skip the chicken, add 1 lb sliced mushrooms browned hard in step 3.
- **Gluten-free pasta:** works, but undercook it by 3 minutes rather than 2 — GF pasta softens faster.

## Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20 minutes with a splash of milk or broth stirred in — cream sauces tighten dramatically when chilled. Assemble ahead through step 7, refrigerate up to 24 hours, and add 10 minutes to the bake. Freezing is possible but the cream sauce can separate; stir well on reheating.

## Serving suggestions

Garlic bread and a sharply dressed arugula salad. The salad isn't optional here — this is a rich dish and it needs something acidic across from it.