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Penne pasta thoroughly coated in an off-white creamy parmesan sauce with charred chicken breast strips.

The Ultimate Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta in a Cast-Iron Skillet

Master this restaurant-quality Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta featuring golden-charred chicken strips, chewy sun-dried tomatoes, and wilted spinach folded into penne pasta with a rich, thick off-white garlic parmesan sauce.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 645
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Ingredients
  • 8 oz Penne pasta (225g) dried
  • 1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts (450g) sliced into strips
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil (15ml) for searing
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted butter (30g)
  • 3 cloves Garlic (15g) minced
  • 0.5 cup Chicken broth (120ml) low-sodium
  • 1 cup Heavy whipping cream (240ml)
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (50g) freshly grated
  • 2 cups Fresh baby spinach (60g)
  • 0.33 cup Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (50g) chopped
  • 0.5 tsp Coarse black pepper (1g) for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy-bottomed Cast-Iron Skillet Essential for searing chicken to achieve golden-brown charred edges.
  • 1 Metal cooking tongs For flipping chicken strips undisturbed.

Method
 

Step-by-Step Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tbsp (15ml) of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 lb (450g) of chicken breast strips in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until golden-brown, charred edges form. Flip and cook 3 more minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
  2. Simultaneously, boil the 8 oz (225g) of penne pasta in salted water until 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
  3. Lower the skillet heat to medium-low. Melt 2 tbsp (30g) of butter into the chicken drippings. Sauté the 3 minced garlic cloves (15g) for 30 seconds. Pour in 1/2 cup (120ml) of chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits.
  4. Stir in 1 cup (240ml) of heavy whipping cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and let thicken for 2 minutes.
  5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Vigorously whisk in the 1/2 cup (50g) of fresh parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and off-white. Fold in 2 cups (60g) of baby spinach, stirring until completely wilted.
  6. Add the cooked penne, rested chicken strips, and 1/3 cup (50g) of chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet. Toss until the pasta is coated in the thick cream sauce. Finish with a heavy dusting of 1/2 tsp (1g) coarse black pepper.

Notes

To prevent sauce separation, always remove the skillet from the heat source before whisking in the parmesan cheese.
Use only freshly grated block parmesan, as pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that create a grainy sauce texture.