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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 sauce- loved that it all cooked in one pot. Next time I would probably use 1/3 of the sun dried tomatoes & sub in diced fresh for the rest ( just a texture issue for me). Used 1&1/2 T of the chilies for those sensitive to heat but could have handled 2T easy. Glossy, lovely sauce – used rigatoni which took a long time to cook but just added a little more water every couple of minutes. Would probably also be great with ground Italian sausage.
Hey there,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This was so yummy and a big hit in our house! I used the full 3 Tbsp (maybe a tad more?) of the chili paste since we like heat and it was perfect for us though I probably wouldn’t serve it that spicy to the guests. 🙂 I served this with garlic bread and added a tiny bit of the chili paste to that too which was awesome. I used gluten free pasta and cooked it exactly as instructed in the recipe and it was just right. At 8 min it is al dente which you want given that you continue cooking it a bit longer with the added ingredients. Great leftovers as well! Another great recipe Tieghan. Thank you!
Hey Rita,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
This is so delicious, and easy! I decreased the chili paste just a little so it wouldn’t be too spicy for my 5 and 3 year olds. My husband said, “This is what you make when you want to impress your friends.” Everyone at the table gave it two thumbs up!
Hey Pearl,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
Is there anything I could use in place of the Calabrian chili paste? My target doesn’t stock it and I’m unable to find it in other stores.
Hi Haley,
A few others have used tomato paste, it’s going to give the pasta a different flavor, but it will work. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I used Sriracha and it worked nicely! 🙂
I made this as a leap of faith because I always thought I never liked sun dried tomatoes, but this recipe came out really flavorful! I did have to make some adjustments- it was just me so in paring down the recipe I think I goofed up the water, so I had to add more than I had measured. I also had to add more after I added the cream, because the sauce wasn’t coming together like I wanted. But all in all, it tastes amazing, is very satisfying, and the recipe was easy to follow. 🙂
Hey Jamae,
Happy Sunday!💐 I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xT
We had this for dinner tonight & it was amazing! We like to rate our pasta dishes by how much we’d pay for it in an Italian restaurant. This recipe was a $21.99 dish all day long! It was just packed with flavor & had excellent texture.
I accidentally seasoned the oil before adding the chicken & what a happy accident that was! It made such a beautiful coating, I’m not sure I’ll sauteed chicken any other way now.
Definitely keeping this one!!!
Hey Meredith,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
Very good and easy meal. My whole family enjoyed. This recipe will be added to my monthly rotation.
Hey Chelsie,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was a winner!🌞 xx
This has become a regular recipe in the rotation of quick and easy meals to make. Until this recipe had never heard of much less used Bombe paste….now a regular staple as good to add for a quick dish of pasta when in a hurry. In regards to those who have said the time for the pasta was not enough I thought the same until I realized that these are truly al dente and meant to be this way and not the super soft way we have become used to in having pasta.
Again, a great easy recipe that makes you look like a great cook with little effort.
Hey Sheena,
Happy Monday!!⛅️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Could I sub ground Turkey or chicken for the cubed chicken breast? Any tips on preparation if so?
Hi Asha,
Sure, I would sauté that on the side with some seasonings of your choice and then add to the dish for serving. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This is a fantastic pasta dish! I love to try new pasta dishes and this one has such layers of flavours. The Calabrian chili paste (first time using it) has a different heat and with all the ingredients made this a special dish. The four of us ate it up and leftovers were gone the next day. Thank you for opening up the recipe world for us, keep up the great work! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Hi Lucy,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
This was very tasty (and easy). My pasta took quite a bit longer than 8 minutes to cook but I just kept adding water and it was fine (I used cavatelli and it took close to 17-18 min). It definitely had a kick but my husband and I both really liked the flavor.
Hey Amanda,
Happy Wednesday!🌈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I found that my pasta (rigatoni) needed extra water and time to cook. Next time, I’d reduce the chili paste a bit, but that’s my personal preference. It was a delicious, easy, 1-pot meal. What could be better? Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
A bit too oily in my opinion! Was good with lots of flavor but would probably add a tomato paste of some kind to loosen up the oils from the butter and sun dried tomatoes
Hi Olivia,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so sorry to hear it was oily for you! Let me know if you give it another try! xx
I made this while over at a friend’s house and was surprised at how easy and simple it was. Barely any dishes to do after which is a huge plus for me. I couldn’t go to target so I grabbed Divina Calabrian Chilies from Publix and it did the trick. Amazing smell and we got 5 good sized portions out of it. Yum!
Hi Carly,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
So the Calabrian chili paste… it links in your recipe to a spread from Target. Is this what you use? I could only find the SAMBAL OELEK Ground Fresh Chili Paste. I used this and added some tomato paste. Problem is the first night it was to die for good and the second time I tried to make it it was good but not empty pan good. If substituting, do you know how much tomato paste to add? I feel like this might have been where I went wrong. The first time I just added until the color really popped with 2T Sambal Oelek Chili Paste. It was not as bright in color the second attempt, and the flavor far less delicious. Or if you really use the spread from Target, let me know and I will find that! Thanks!
Hey Johanna,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I linked the exact brand that I used in the post:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bSB6x
I would not use the sambal olek chili paste next time, it’s really so much more different than the Calabrian chili paste. I would recommend the one linked above or the one from Target. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx