Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta recipe, packed with flavor from spinach, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes, your family will gobble this easy dinner right up!
Love easy chicken dinners? This Buffalo Chicken Pasta ranks as one of our reader’s favorite recipes! And who can resist a plate of cheesy Chicken Tetrazzini??
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe is best
Much like my Tuscan Garlic Chicken Pasta recipe, you’ll have tender chicken with a delicious, creamy tuscan sauce!
- Restaurant quality, made at home!
- Tender flavorful chicken
- Creamy sauce
- Made in a skillet for easy clean up!
Prep the Chicken
Place raw chicken breast into a bowl and pour milk and lemon juice over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. You can also do this in the morning, so that it’s ready at dinner time!
PRO TIP: Did you know that soaking the chicken in milk and lemon helps it become more tender for cooking?
Step by Step Instructions
The crust.
When ready to cook, create your Italian chicken crust. In a pie plate, or shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and powdered sugar.
Drain chicken from milk marinade and dip into the flour, coating evenly.
Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat. Place chicken strips in hot skillet for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and place onto a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake the chicken.
Bake chicken in 350 degree oven for about 18-20 minutes.
PRO TIP: If you smash your chicken with a meat tenderizer before dipping in coating, this helps it become the same thickness throughout, resulting in more even cooking.
Make the pasta and sauce.
PRO TIP: Skip the additional olive oil and use the oil from the sun dried tomatoes instead. Adds a rich flavor to the sauce!
Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon cornstarch over the tomatoes, and mix thoroughly.
Add chicken broth, whisk until combined. Cook for about 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix remaining cornstarch with milk and whisk. Add to the broth and continue whisking while adding in the cream, spinach, salt, and pepper.
Turn heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens and spinach wilts. Add in parmesan cheese.
Stir and heat on low until chicken and noodles are done.
Serve in a large bowl and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
This Garlic Bread is always a great side dish to pasta. Who doesn’t love a fluffy, flavorful bread? Dinner rolls are great for sopping up that extra sauce.
This Italian Salad is loaded with fresh flavor and the homemade Italian Dressing is zesty and flavorful! The perfect pairing to your weeknight meal.
Looking for a fresh bowl of homemade applesauce for dinner tonight? This Instant Pot Applesauce recipe is super quick and easy!
Don’t forget to finish the evening with a fresh batch of Rice Krispie Treats!
More Pasta Recipes
You’ll love this tangy, Lemon Garlic Pasta as a side dish with your favorite chicken or fish! Or enjoy it as your main entree in under 30 minutes!
Cajun Sausage Pasta is a delicious 30 minute dinner recipe! Colorful, spicy, and easy to make, you’ll want to put this dish on your menu!
Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal or a dish to share at a potluck, this Chicken Pesto Pasta is your delicious answer! Packed with flavor from the homemade walnut pesto, you’ll love how tasty this easy dish is to eat!
Whip up this easy Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe packed with flavor and meatballs. Ready in minutes!
More Chicken Recipes:
- Italian Chicken Casserole
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
- Chicken and Dumplings
Italian Chicken
Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta recipe, packed with flavor from spinach, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes, your family will gobble this easy dinner right up!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce:
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely diced
- 3 Tablespoon cornstarch, divided
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper (don’t skimp on this)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 box (16oz) linguine noodles
Instructions
- Place raw chicken breast into a bowl and pour milk and lemon juice over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. You can also do this in the morning, so that it's ready at dinner time!
- When ready to cook, create your chicken crust. In a pie plate, or shallow dish, combine flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and powdered sugar.
- Drain chicken from milk marinade and dip into the flour, coating evenly.
- Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium high heat. Place chicken strips in hot skillet for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and place onto a foil lined baking sheet.
- Bake chicken in 350 degree oven for about 18-20 minutes.
- While the chicken bakes, cook your linguine (or favorite pasta) according to package.
- To make the sauce, using the same skillet as the chicken, add additional olive oil, scraping the bits from the pan. Over medium heat, add garlic and sun dried tomatoes to the pan, heat for several minutes.
- Sprinkle 1 Tbsp cornstarch over the tomatoes, and mix thoroughly.
- Add chicken broth, whisk until combined. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix remaining cornstarch with milk and whisk. Add to the broth and continue whisking while adding in the cream, spinach, salt, and pepper.
- Turn heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens and spinach wilts. Add in parmesan cheese.
- Stir and heat on low until chicken and noodles are done.
- Serve in a large bowl and enjoy.
Notes
- If you smash your chicken with a meat tenderizer before dipping in coating, this helps it become the same thickness throughout, resulting in more even cooking.
- Skip the additional olive oil and use the oil from the sun dried tomatoes instead. Adds a rich flavor to the sauce!
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 695Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 1785mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 50g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
Creamy Italian Chicken Pasta recipe, packed with flavor from spinach, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes, your family will gobble this easy dinner right up!
I made this tonight at my daughter’s house. It was fabulous. Everybody loved it. I will make it at home for the rest of the crew when they come for dinner some day.
This was Sooo good The breading, The sauce mixture both were excellent! This is definitely a keeper So happy I found it Thank You!
Is there a way to print this recipe?
Request: Add an app that I can change the amount of serving. This is for 6 and I only want to cook for 2. No idea what ratio each would be. Please. All recipes should allow changing amounts of servings.
Unfortunately, I find in most of my recipes which are desserts, this option doesn’t equate well.
I also skipped the powder sugar and tomatoes. I added extra spinach. So much flavor you will not regret making this
I made this with almond milk instead of all the dairy, used rice based noodles and used arrow root instead of corn starch. I used extra almond milk since rice noodles absorb more liquid than wheat. I will make this again. The chicken was very flavorful. My kids loved it. Definitely a winner in our family.
Sounds great. Anything I can use in place of tomatoes?
Great dinner I didn’t add the sugar cause I don’t cook sweet meat but everything was perfect I was a little.confused tho cause she said use a pie dish to bread your chicken ? When you can use litteraly anything else and you’re not making a crust of any kind according to the video and Instructions. Other wise this recipe is amazing ! !!! Must try
Why powdered sugar?? I would think that would make the sauce a tad sweet.
I have made this many times, always a winner!
This is the best thing I’ve ever cooked possible best thing I’ve ever eaten. It’s so good and so worth the work.
Can this be made ahead by cooking the chicken, making the sauce and leaving it for a couple of hours? Then cook the pasta at the last minute and toss everything together at that point and serve.
This entire dish was amazing! My husband and I enjoyed the chicken . It was so yummy and moist! The pasta was delicious and flavorful! I will definitely make again!
Ummmm, okay. This was SO good. Well… actually it was so much better than good. It was delicious. Seriously, this was one of the BEST meals I’ve ever eaten. My whole family thought so too, and I’m making this again. Like tonight. So good.
Would this freeze and reheat ok? I’m wanting to make this frozen for a friend who just had a baby, so she can reheat it whenever she doesn’t want to make a big meal herself.
What would you suggest for the reheating instructions?
Thanks!!
I’m going to make it tomorrow for my husband and kids (daughter, boyfriend and granddaughter-Miss Special-3) who live around the corner. Cooking for me is a challenge and adventure! If you say 30 min, they say 2 hours, it will take me an unknown amount of time, but it will be “exact” and, hopefully, perfectly delicious! Without going into the “whys” about me and my reasons I am slow at cooking, etc..blah blah …
I did read all the reviews and I’m very excited to make, and share this fabulous dish! Maybe even make it for other folks on Father’s Day!! Scary…I just thought of fresh tomatoes cuz of the sodium in sundried? But, after reading, who cares?! Wish me luck!