Creamy Tuscan-Inspired Chicken Penne with Rosé Sauce

Is there anything better than a quick weeknight meal? I don’t think so, which is why I love making this creamy Tuscan-inspired chicken penne with rose sauce. It’s so easy with cut-up skinless chicken breast and penne pasta, finished with fresh spinach, making it an easy recipe to cook in a large skillet. The homemade rose sauce comes together in minutes once the chicken has been cooked, making it the perfect dinner for a busy day. In fact, the whole meal comes together in just 30 minutes. That makes it a winner in this busy mom’s books. 

If you’re tired at the end of the day, having a few 30-minute meals is ideal. It takes the pressure off you to have a good lineup of simple recipes that can be made quickly while satisfying hungry bellies. Pasta has long been a family favorite both because it’s cost-effective and also because it’s excellent for pickier eaters. I never had to worry if my kids were eating when I made pasta. And this creamy Tuscan chicken pasta was a huge hit with both of them. Even my partner, who doesn’t like cream sauces typically, asked for seconds of this. 

​Looking for more great thirty-minute meals? Be sure to check out all my fast dinner recipes—they’re delish!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

​Simple Ingredients: This great recipe uses a few ingredients that combine to make a flavorful dish the whole family will love eating again and again. 

Customizable: You can easily add ingredients to this rose-sauced pasta dinner to create various flavorful meals for your dinner lineup. 

It’s fast. Short on time? No problem, this creamy Tuscan chicken pasta recipe comes together in just thirty minutes. 

Let’s Get Started Making This Creamy Chicken Pasta

The first important note here is that you want to work with a large frying pan or sauté pan. This is because we are going to be putting all of the ingredients, save the pasta, into it. As you know, spinach, when uncooked, takes up a fair bit of room until it cooks down. There is also nothing worse than making a huge mess all over trying to combine ingredients in an overly full pan. So be sure yours is deeper. 

Next,  you will want to cut the boneless chicken breasts into smaller pieces. Cutting across the grain of the meat ensures that the meat stays tender. Put the chicken in a bowl and set aside while you prep the garlic, onion, and sundried tomatoes. I believe in mise en place. Also known as gathering ingredients so you can work quickly and more efficiently. Over the years, I’ve learned that when working alone in the kitchen, it’s imperative you have everything at hand so that it’s ready for use. So open the pasta sauce, measure the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, and have them close to your workplace. Also, get the dried savory, basil, salt, and pepper and have them ready to use. 

​Finally, to get ready, let’s fill the pasta pot with water as you normally would for cooking your pasta. One of the nice things about working with pasta is that the methodology is always predictable: water, salt, heat, cook, drain. Done! I love it. 

So now you want to heat the frying pan with the olive oil. I used about four tablespoons of olive oil to cook the chicken pieces. Add the small pieces of chicken once the pan is heated to medium-high heat and the oil is hot. Now, when I say small, the pieces should be cut to the size that makes them bite-sized. You don’t want minced chicken. The skinless chicken breasts pieces will cook in the frying pan until cooked. It’s about 15 minutes, give or take. While they cook, measure and add the spices. Stir the chicken so that all sides are cooking evenly. 

By now, the pasta water should have a nice rolling boil, so go ahead and put the penne into the pot and cook it until done to your preference. Then drain and return it to the pasta pot. 

I have a warming burner on my stove, which is convenient for keeping the cooked chicken meat warm while preparing the sauce. If you don’t have that stove element, don’t worry. Once you remove the cooked chicken pieces from the pan to a plate, the sauce only takes a few minutes, so the chicken won’t cool off too much. Temp the golden brown chicken pieces before removing them from the pan. Check the larger pieces of tender chicken with your meat thermometer. It should read 165F for done. 

The frying pan will have the meat drippings in the bottom of the pan and that’s great because we are using the spiced drippings to sauté both the garlic and the onion. You may wish to reduce the heat on the stove slightly as the bit of garlic is smaller than the onion pieces, and you don’t want them to burn. Stir with a wooden spoon while sauteing until the onions appear almost glassy. You can then dump the sundried tomato pieces into the pan. Continue to stir while the tomatoes heat through.

After a minute, add the tomato sauce and the heavy cream to the pan. You can stir it together well and then add the parmesan cheese. Now, I used a fresh grated parmesan cheese, which was tasty, but you can just as easily use a parmesan cheese powder. In fact, that’s likely more economical. Stir that sauce until the cheese melts and is well incorporated, then return the chicken pieces to the pan. Lastly, you will want to add the washed baby spinach leaves to the pan. Stir them in. If you didn’t find a deep pan, I recommend using tongs to lift the mixture so the spinach gets stirred in. It’s just easier than using a spoon. 

Once the spinach has been mixed in and wilted, you can add the entire contents of the pan to the pasta in the pot and mix it together well. This dish makes a very large batch of pasta. If you have cooked less than the whole package of pasta, you can cool and freeze the sauce with the chicken to use later. Be sure that it’s fully cooled in the fridge before freezing. 

Serve the chicken penne pasta with a nice garlic bread for a complete meal that is the perfect way to end a busy weeknight. 

Ingredients:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: These pieces of chicken are perfect for working with when adding chicken meat to sauces. The lack of skin means less grease, and chicken cooks tender.

Olive Oil: This helps the spices stick to the chicken pieces while cooking and keeps the meat from sticking. The lightly flavored oil also helps create a nice golden color to the meat.

Penne: Italian pasta shapes have their own purpose, and penne is perfect for holding cream sauces. The rich rose sauce clings to the pasta tubes while running inside, making each bite of pasta rich in a creamy sauce.

Salt: It is used in cooking to enhance the natural flavors of foods. You can omit it if you are watching your salt intake.

Black Pepper: Adds a slight earthy heat to offset the sweeter basil while adding a bit of depth to the meal.

Dried Savory: Often used in Italian cooking, this herb brings a unique flavor to the rose sauce while complementing the meat with its peppery, somewhat earthy flavor.

Dried Basil: This sweeter herb balances the earthiness of the savory and pairs well with the tomato-based sauce.

Fresh Garlic: Sautéing this allows its natural flavors to come out, infusing the dish with its aromatics. The process also softens both the pungent nature of the bulb and its texture.

Onion: This also is softened by sautéing and works with the garlic to round out the base of the sauce.

Canned Tomato Sauce: Using canned tomato sauce as the base of the sauce is convenient and economical while still having a deep tomato flavor.

Heavy Cream 10%: This cream isn’t as high in fat as 18 or 35% but is rich enough to make a thick sauce base with the tomatoes.

Fresh Parmesan Cheese: This cheese intensifies the sauce’s flavor and adds a creaminess, allowing it to cling better to the pasta.

Baby Spinach: This bright green leafy vegetable is a nutrient-dense vegetable. It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, making it a good addition to a more nutritious meal. 

Substitutions And Add-Ins For This Delicious Dinner 

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken thighs may also be used. If you want to eat rose penne without the chicken, this dish would also work well with tofu or Seitan.

​Olive Oil: This oil can be more costly, but if you’re all out, please feel free to use another neutral oil. Vegetable, canola, or avocado oils work well.

​Penne: This pasta shape is fairly easy to use; however, other pasta shapes suitable for rose sauces are rigatoni, orecchiette, fusilli, and linguine.

​Salt: May be omitted.

​Black Pepper: Maybe omitted. Replaced with red pepper flakes for a spicier kick. Or replaced with white pepper.

​Dried Savory: You can also use dried Italian seasoning instead of savory and basil.

​Dried Basil: See above. Note that you can replace just the basil with either fresh basil leaves or dried oregano.

​Fresh Garlic: If you’re all out of fresh garlic, garlic powder will suffice. 1/4 tsp of powder can replace 4 cloves of fresh.

​Onion: I used a red onion. However, you can also use regular yellow cooking or white onions onions.

​Canned Tomato Sauce: I used a can of this tomato sauce. As long as the sauce you pick is the same amount and not already spiced, it will likely work fine.

Heavy Cream 10%: Heavier cream can also be used for a richer, lighter, or milk for a lower-fat sauce. Just remember, as you lower the fat content, you will also lower the thickness of the rose sauce.

​Fresh Parmesan Cheese: This cheese melts into the sauce well, but you can get a flavor similar to the cheese powder variety.

​Baby Spinach: Chopped spinach and Swiss chard will also work. Although you may be tempted to use kale, its texture is fibrous and will not wilt as fast as spinach.

Expert Tips, Serving, And Storing Suggestions For This Chicken Penne Pasta 

Tip #1: Choose the Right Pan: Opt for a large frying or sauté pan when cooking dishes with many ingredients. This ensures you have enough space to combine ingredients without making a big mess. A deeper pan is especially beneficial for wilting spinach, which takes up more room when uncooked.

Tip #2: Cut Chicken Properly: Cut the boneless chicken breasts against the grain into bite-sized pieces. This technique helps the chicken cook more evenly and ensures a tender texture. Properly sized pieces will cook faster and integrate better with the pasta and sauce.

Tip #3: Mise en Place for Efficiency: Embrace the concept of mise en place by preparing and measuring all your ingredients before cooking. This method streamlines your cooking process, allowing you to work quickly and efficiently. Have your spices, sauces, and any other ingredients ready to grab as you move through the recipe.

This excellent creamy rose-sauced chicken with spinach recipe is perfect for dinner tonight. It can be served alone, with a side salad or freshly baked garlic bread. 

Once it has cooled, you can store the sauce with chicken in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Be sure not to close the lid of the container when the food is warm, as it can lead to moisture buildup and increase your chances of food spoilage. 

If you wish to freeze, I recommend making just the sauce with chicken and freezing that. Freezing pasta can lead to a textural change that isn’t overly pleasant when thawed. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat while making fresh pasta. And remember that garlic bread!

Have you tasted this delicious Tuscan-inspired chicken dinner? I would love to hear what your family thought of it. Please rate and comment below. As always, happy cooking!