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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 chicken pasta recipe.
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 dish 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 chicken 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 and flavor 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 olive 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, I used breasts but you could also use chicken thighs 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 or chicken broth to the pot and bring it to a boil. Now add the pasta and let the pasta cook until it’s al dente. I like to use rigatoni, but penne pasta is also great.
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! Leftovers are great stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
This post was originally published on February 13, 2023
This was amazing.. easy to make and delicious.. my husband loved it.. so did I!!!
Thanks so much Karen!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! xT
Easy and delicious! This is dinner party worthy!
Hey Jennifer,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
10/10 tastes like a copycat recipe of one of our favorite AZ spots. Highly recommend, so flavorful!
Also, wanted to mention I used spicy tomato pesto instead of the chili paste! And had to add more water while cooking than it called for. At least an extra cup which made it 4.5-5 cups of water instead of 3.5.
Thanks for sharing!!
Any suggestions for subs for pescatarians?
Hey Alicia,
Shrimp would be great to use here! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Hey Leah,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
Don’t know what i did wrong but my pasta never cooked & i had to boil new pasta and just use a different sauce 🙁
Hi Kris,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What kind of noodles did you use? Let me know how I can help! xx
Knocked it out of the park with this one, Tieghan! Made this for a quick Valentine’s dinner. I love how easy it was to prepare. I live in the epitome of Small Town, USA and have to drive 30 minutes to the nearest grocery store. Although they did have an International section, they didn’t carry Calabrian chili paste. I found some harissa sauce and went with it. Not sure if that’s even remotely similar, but it tasted AMAZINGGG. Added lots of mushrooms, too, because…well, I add them to everything lol. I love how this is not too “saucy” and the flavor is phenomenal. Everyone in my house went back for at least a second bowl–even the kids (who thankfully appreciate a little spice). I will be making this for years to come!
Hey Kelley,
Wow! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you! So glad to hear it was enjoyed:) Have a great day! xx
Made this as a belated Valentine’s Day dinner and it was DELICIOUS! I only used 1 tablespoon of calabrian peppers because I didn’t have a ‘paste’, just straight peppers. I could’ve used a little more still. Overall simple to make but tastes delicious!
Hey Kelly,
Perfect!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
This was excellent!
I made this for our valentine’s day dinner & loved not having to do a bunch of dishes afterwards. I used tubetti rigati pasta and it was perfect for us but of course cooking times vary depending on the pasta used so I just adjusted my quantity of water accordingly. I didn’t have calabrian chilis on hand so I just used chili flakes but I will make this again as you had written with the calabrian chilis.
Great dinner with tons of flavor!
Thanks for sharing another great meal idea!
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious, as expected! Woohoo! Cooking the chicken with the herbs and parmesan in the sun-dried tomato oil was a genius idea; the whole house smelled amazing!!! Thank you!
Hi Tracy,
Happy Thursday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well! xx
What is the butter for? Can’t seem to find it?
Hey Tina,
You are going to add the butter in step 3! Sorry for any confusion, I fixed the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Just made this today, wonderful!!!
Hi Francine,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
I made this for Valentine’s Day (as recommended :)) and it was delicious! I just had it today as leftovers and it was even better. The only hiccup I had was the pasta part. The pasta I bought said 13 minutes until al dente – not 8 minutes. So I kept having to add more water. No problem though – it came out perfect!! Will add this recipe to my tried and trues.
Hey Haley,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Tieghan, this was so so so good! Thank you for this!! Was so easy to pick up all the ingredients and make this without making a big mess in the kitchen! Super tasty, super easy!
Thanks so much Monica!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx
It has been a while since my whole family raved about a dish, but this recipe was loved by all. I even substituted nonfat milk for cream in order to reduce the calories and fat. Using the starchy pasta water still made the sauce thick and creamy. This one is definitely a winner, Tieghan! Thanks — you did it again! <3
Hey Renee,
Happy Thursday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hi! I’d like to make this but can’t find the chili paste – do you recommend a substitute? My husband and I love your recipes and eat HBH probably 2-3 nights a week … thank you!
Hi RF — My grocery store also had no Calabrian Chili Paste. They had several Thai Chili Pastes. I pulled up a photo of a jar of Calabrian Chili Paste online and we compared the ingredients. The two chili pastes are very similar (the Thai Chili Paste has garlic, but that is not a problem at all in this recipe). I made this recipe with the Thai Chili Paste, and it was delicious!
Thank you for the comment about using the Thai chili paste. I couldn’t find the one in the recipe as well but the Thai chili paste is easy to find. I will try that😊
Hey there,
You should be able to find at Target or you can order online:) If not, tomato paste will work for you! Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! And to the person accusing Teighan of not being transparent, or having someone else do her work for her, you are way off base. I follow many food bloggers & she is THE ONLY ONE who personally responds to every single question she gets regarding her recipes (which are all wonderful & well thought out). My entire Thanksgiving meal was from her & she saved me by answering my questions & helping me make a lot ahead of time. She clearly works very hard & does not need this kind of nonsense. Be kind.
Amy’s comment with all the truths! I didn’t start enjoying cooking, not to mention cooking confidently, and improving at it until I found her site and cookbooks. I’ve learned so much about cooking, herbs, timing, how to fix a mistake, substitutes, etc. No other site or cookbook has been able to teach me those things so effectively. That’s the result of someone who works diligently to teach, support, and reach her audience effectively.