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This simple one pot Spicy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is the perfect winter dinner. Quick, easy, hearty, and so delicious! Pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken in a creamy Italian chili sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Cooked together with rigatoni pasta for a quick dinner made in one pot. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. Elegant enough for a special holiday dinner yet equally great to make at the end of a busy day. You can’t go wrong with this Tuscan-style pasta.
Growing up, Valentine’s Day was definitely more of a holiday celebrated at school than at home. In our house, a house full of boys, no one cared much for Valentine’s Day. Even my mom, who you’d think might have some interest, does not care for the holiday. My dad refers to it as a “Hallmark Holiday“.
But there was one person in my life who always made Valentine’s Day special, my Nonnie. No matter where she was, Florida or Cleveland, she’d send us a small gift for V-Day every year. She always made it special and fun.
I can’t say that Valentine’s Day is my favorite day of the year, but I honestly find the holiday of love to be very sweet. I love any excuse to bake chocolate and make a yummy dinner that feels super special.
On Friday, I shared what I’ll be making for my Valentine’s Day dessert. With today’s pasta we now have a full Valentine’s Day meal (I do have another fun dessert coming tomorrow too!)
And if where you live is as booked up for dinner reservations as it is here in New York, you’re going to want to stay in and cook!! And this creamy Tuscan-style pasta, which also happens to be super easy, is just perfect.
Here are details
I mentioned last week sometime that I’ve really been enjoying cooking with Italian jarred Calabrian chili paste. I’m finding it so delicious and a great way to add a small amount of spice to my Italian-inspired dishes.
I wanted to make a red pasta for Valentine’s Day that was not tomato based. It’s funny, this is actually a request I get often. Apparently, not everyone enjoys a tomato heavy pasta.
You’ll want to start with sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Yes, these are tomatoes, but they’re stirred, and so different than fresh or canned. I love them so much. Drain the oil and save that for cooking. Then chop the tomatoes.
Now add the chicken and Italian seasoning to a big pot that will also fit your pasta. Cook the chicken until browned, then add a bit of parmesan cheese. The cheese melts on the chicken, then turns crispy.
Once you’ve cooked the chicken, add the chilies and other spices/seasonings into the pot with some oil. Let that cook for a minute, then add water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Now add the pasta and let the pasta cook until it’s al dente.
At this point, all you need to do is add some milk or cream and a handful of spinach. Then more parmesan and mix, mix, mix.
As soon as the cheese melts. Serve the pasta directly from the pot with fresh basil on top. It’s going to smell and look incredible, so you’ll want to eat it all up right away!
I recommend some soft bread on the side like a garlic roll or maybe beer bread. A crusty no-knead bread could also be delicious.
Then a big Caesar-style salad would be great as well! Super elegant, even romantic meal, right? It could be wonderful for tomorrow night! Hope you all enjoy this as much as I do!
Looking for winter pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula
southerSouthern Style Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Tuscan Chicken Pasta be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 622 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (8 ounce) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 4 teaspoons Italian seasoning (see note)
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili paste
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- 1. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large pot or skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.2. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, the paprika, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup parmesan, cook another minute, then remove the chicken from the pot.3. To the same pot, add a drizzle of oil and the butter. Add the shallot, garlic, Calabrian chili paste, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. Stir in the cream, spinach, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and remaining 3/4 cup parmesan. Slide the chicken in, and any juices left on the plate.4. Serve the pasta topped with fresh parmesan and basil.
Notes
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
Delicious! Loved! I didn’t use the noted chili paste but I found a different sweet/spicy paste that worked well. Thank you!
Hey Teresa,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I’ve made this twice, once with chicken and the second time with hot Italian sausage, absolutely delicious. Thank you for your ingenious recipes.
Hey Connie,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and your comment, I love to hear it was a hit! 😊
Amazing! This was just so so so good! I grilled the chicken the night before, chopped it up, heated it through, threw the parmesan on it, and cooked it for a minute or two and then followed the instructions from there. Thank you!
Hey Margo,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
This was DEEELICIOUS! Couldn’t find Calabrian chili paste – just used some hot sauce instead. Came out just like the picture too.
Hey Colleen,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
This recipe gets 5 stars from my family. We love spicy! Also, for anyone interested, I was able to make it dairy-free. I omitted the parmesan and butter and then substituted the cream with a dairy-free heavy cream (a cashew one from Danielle Walker’s Healthy in a Hurry). We didn’t miss the dairy at all, it was absolutely delicious. Perfect for a cold, stormy night!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Do you have a suggestion for making this pescatarian? I was thinking about trying it with tuna.
Hey Lynn,
I think shrimp would work well here! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Easy to make and great flavors. I do agree with others that commented that it was too spicy. I only put 1 tablespoon and it was really spicy. It almost made me think that the recipe should have said 2-3 teaspoons, not tablespoons.
Hey Mila,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was spicy!! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xx
This was a great one pan recipe! I didn’t have Calabrian chili but I used a Sichuan spicy oil that I had and it still came out fantastic! I will be making again for guests that I have over next week !
Hey Brittany,
Happy Friday!!🍀 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
This is a new favorite— I used Trader Joe’s Calabrian peppers in the full amount as my family is crazy for highly spiced dishes—so so tasty and full flavored! I did add about a cup of hot water after 8 minutes to get the pasta to the texture we prefer and it turned out great. Just some crusty bread and we had the perfect winter night meal. Thank you for continuously working so hard to deliver such unusual and satisfying recipes — I’m getting behind because we have so many that we love and everyone wants them again too! No complaints here—I’m so pleased to have the variety you provide and I actually look forward to meal planning.
Hey Lucy,
Happy Friday!!🍀 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! Thanks so much for your kind message! xT
Lovely pasta dish. The Calabrian peppers are key to this. I found some at Trader Joe’s for $3.50 if anyone is looking. They are super spicy but pack all kinds of Italian flavors. I added some chicken broth to the water for some extra flavor cause I had an opened box in the fridge I wanted to get rid of. Superb!!!
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
Sooo delicious. Can’t say how many times we made making yummy sounds at the table, but you know a dish is good when most of the conversation during dinner is about how good it is.
Hey Emily,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
I loved this dish! Though it was too spicy for my children. If I were to make this again, I would add only 1 T. Calabrian peppers for them. (I had added 2 T. Perfect for me, too spicy for kids.)
I also would add 3-4 cups spinach since it cools down so much. And I like the taste of whole chicken breast vs. cubed, so I’d cook up the chicken whole and then cut it up after.
I only did the 3.5 cups of water. It wasn’t enough to cover the pasta, but I put a lid on the pot and it cooked up just fine (after longer than 8 minutes).
Hi Kristin,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! So sorry about the spice! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Overall, this was a pretty easy, flavorful one-pot recipe to make. I forgot to buy sundried tomatoes, so I substituted several tablespoons of tomato paste and used EVOO to cook the chicken and saute the onions and garlic. I also couldn’t find Calabrian chili paste, but found a bottle of crushed Calabrian peppers and used those instead.
A couple of notes: My chicken always takes more than 5/6 minutes to cook properly, but that might be because I’m not turning up the heat enough on my pan. Also, I needed closer to 5 cups of water to cook the pasta, and even then, I found that the pasta was still a little too tough.
Like many pasta dishes, though, the leftovers were perfect, and the pasta had absorbed some of the liquid from the sauce, leaving it deliciously al dente.
P.S. It’s probably a good idea to taste the dish as you add the peppers because they were hotter than expected. I love spicy food, so this wasn’t an issue for me, but I noticed that the Calabrian peppers have a fair amount of heat AND spice.
Hey Jackie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Thanks for sharing what worked best for you! Have a great Wednesday! xx
Phenomenal!! the flavor is out of this world. it’s a bit spicy and creamy and cheesy and just restaurant quality. will definitely be on repeat in my kitchen.
I also had to add more water to fully cook the pasta, about 4 cups but the pasta was perfect and soaked up all the flavors of the cooking liquid. delish!
Hey Gilda,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Hi – do you have a recommended sub for the Calabrian chili paste?
Hey Ricki,
You can use tomato paste, it will work, but it’s not going to give the unique flavor that the Calabrian Chili paste has:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx