This Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta is made without cream for a lightened up, flavourful dinner! Creamy and decadent without all the guilt!
I am a sucker for a creamy pasta! I find it hard to resist ordering an Alfredo or carbonara dish when it is on the menu. It is the ultimate comfort food for me and something I have loved for as long as I can remember.
Pasta is definitely one of my weaknesses! I am a carb lover and despite trying to eat healthier, the thought of doing a keto diet or anything that restricts my carb intake sounds like absolute torture and would not be sustainable for me!
While pasta is not necessarily healthy, I’m a firm believer in the idea that foods like pasta should be enjoyed in moderation. That said, feel free to sub in healthier pasta alternatives. Whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta and even spaghetti squash work well as healthier alternatives to traditional pasta!
I labelled this pasta healthy because it is significantly healthier than the classic version its based on. No heavy cream is used here! I rarely ever use cream in my cooking. Instead, the sauce is made with milk that is thickened with a roux.
Ingredients in Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Fettuccine pasta (or similar pasta)
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Milk
- Baby spinach
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese
- Herbs & Seasonings: dried basil, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste
How to make Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and dried basil.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 minutes or until it begins to brown nicely. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Transfer the skillet into the oven and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes (cook time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts).
- While chicken is in the oven, heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or pot. Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the milk and stir until it thickens.
- Add the Italian seasoning, spinach, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the chicken as well and simmer for a couple minutes.
You can serve this creamy pasta dish using whole chicken breasts, or, if you prefer, slice the chicken and toss it with the pasta. It makes the pasta easier to eat.
Bon appetit!
-Cathy
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Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
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Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g fettuccine pasta (or similar pasta)
- 4 small chicken breasts
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup basil chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes julienned
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and dried basil.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 minutes or until it begins to brown nicely. Flip and repeat on the other side.
- Transfer the skillet into the oven and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes (cook time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts).
- While chicken is in the oven, heat 3 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or pot. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Add the milk and stir until it thickens.
- Add the Italian seasoning, spinach, basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the chicken as well and simmer for a couple minutes.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.