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We've incorporated Tuscan flavors into countless of our weeknight dinners, including one of our most popular recipes of all time: creamy Tuscan chicken. I turn to this recipe so often, I decided to transform it into a pasta dinner to shake up your dinner rotation. I tossed crispy bacon, spinach, chicken breasts, and spaghetti in our creamy Tuscan-inspired sauce for a hearty chicken pasta dinner that's just as perfect for date night as it is for a simple and quick weeknight dinner. Ready to upgrade your weeknights? Keep reading on to learn how to ace this weeknight favorite:
What People Are Saying:
"This is a dish that makes you say 'Yummy!' The sauce is creamy and the tomatoes and spinach are a wonderful combination with the chicken and pasta. I have shared this recipe several times, and have had positive responses!!" - nancymick
Start this pasta dish off by preheating your oven to 350° and placing a rack in the middle position. Then, bring a large pot full of salted water up to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, based on package instructions. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, and while it heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Once the oil is hot and slick in the pan, add in the chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes on both sides until a nice golden brown color is achieved. Then remove the chicken from the heat and set onto a metal baking sheet.
Transfer the sheet with the chicken into the oven and roast until cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes more, then remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. When the chicken is done resting, slice it into thin pieces.
In the same skillet, cook the bacon for about 8 minutes, until crispy, then remove and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once the oil has drained and the bacon has cooled slightly, transfer it to a cutting board and roughly chop it into small pieces.
Add the garlic and halved tomatoes to the same skillet and cook for about 2 minutes. Once the aromatics are fragrant, season with salt and pepper, then add in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and half of the reserved pasta water. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 3 minutes until slightly reduced in volume. Add in the baby spinach and cook it until wilted, about 1 minute.
Return to the sauce first the pasta, tossing to coat, then the chicken and bacon, tossing again. If you want a looser sauce, add in more of the reserved pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.
Garnish the dish with torn basil and serve.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
I love to serve this dinner alongside all of our favorite side dishes for pasta, but some of my favorites include: homemade focaccia, Parmesan-roasted green beans, and sheet-pan panzanella. Anything to add some extra veggies or to soak up all of that delicious sauce is welcome.
If you have any pasta leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
spaghetti
extra-virgin olive oil
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
slices bacon
cloves garlic
cherry tomatoes, halved
heavy cream
freshly grated Parmesan
packed baby spinach
Freshly torn basil, for garnish
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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