Seared chicken with a warm paprika and cayenne crust lands on linguine coated in a silky sun-dried tomato cream sauce. The sauce is rich and slightly tangy, the spinach softens into the noodles, and the chicken stays juicy with a steady kick. If you like this style of creamy chicken pasta, Marry Me Chicken Mac and Cheese is another weeknight favorite built on sun-dried tomatoes and a bold sauce. The sauce here can be made ahead, then reheated with the spinach when you are ready to serve.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One skillet for the chicken and the sauce, so the browned bits stay in the pan and flavor the cream.
- A clear heat level: seasoned chicken up front, crushed red pepper in the sauce, without turning the whole plate fiery.
- Ready in about 35 minutes, with a sauce you can make 3 to 4 days ahead.
- Easy to stretch with thighs, rotisserie chicken, or whatever long pasta you already have.
Tips for Success
- Slice each breast in half horizontally so the pieces cook evenly and pick up more seasoning.
- Pull the chicken at 165°F, then tent it. It will stay warm while the sauce finishes.
- Soften dry sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for about 30 minutes, then drain, pat dry, and chop. Oil-packed tomatoes only need a drain and a chop.
- After the stock goes in, scrape the pan so the browned bits melt into the sauce.
- Add the spinach at the end and cook just until it wilts, about 3 to 4 minutes, so it stays bright.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Linguine
A full pound of linguine gives everyone a generous serving and holds the cream sauce well. Fettuccine, spaghetti, or another long pasta you have on hand will work the same way.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Two breasts, sliced in half horizontally, become four thinner cutlets that sear quickly. Thighs are fine if you cook them to 165°F. Rotisserie chicken can go on top after the pasta and sauce are done.
Paprika
Paprika gives the chicken color and a mild sweet-pepper note under the heat. Smoked paprika is a good swap if you want a slightly deeper flavor.
Cayenne pepper
Three-quarters of a teaspoon seasons the chicken with a clear kick that still lets the sauce come through. Use a full teaspoon if you want it hotter, or cut it back further for a milder plate.
Kosher salt
One teaspoon on the chicken and one teaspoon in the sauce keep the cream from tasting flat. If you are using a finer table salt, start with a little less and taste at the end.
Black pepper
A half teaspoon on the chicken and a quarter teaspoon in the sauce add a clean bite next to the cayenne. Freshly ground pepper tastes brighter here.
Extra virgin olive oil
One tablespoon is enough to sear the chicken and leave flavorful bits in the skillet. A neutral oil works if that is what you have.
Unsalted butter
Two tablespoons start the sauce and round out the tomato paste. Salted butter is fine if you ease back on the salt in the sauce.
Yellow onion
One medium onion, finely diced, softens into the base and keeps the cream from tasting one-note. A shallot can stand in if you prefer a milder edge.
Sun-dried tomatoes
A half cup, softened and finely chopped, brings the sweet-tart Tuscan flavor. Oil-packed tomatoes work after draining. Chop them small so they scatter through the pasta.
Tomato paste
A quarter cup thickens the sauce and deepens the tomato flavor before the cream goes in. No real substitute here. Skip it and the sauce will taste thinner.
Garlic
Two teaspoons of minced garlic, cooked for about a minute, perfumes the butter without turning bitter. Jarred minced garlic is fine in the same amount.
Chicken stock
One cup deglazes the pan and loosens the paste before the cream goes in. Chicken broth is a direct swap.
Heavy cream
One and a half cups makes the sauce coat the linguine. Half-and-half will work in a pinch, but the sauce will be lighter and a little less stable.
Parmesan cheese
A quarter cup of finely grated Parmesan melts into the cream and adds a salty finish. Grate it yourself if you can. Pre-grated cheese can stay grainy.
Crushed red pepper
One teaspoon seasons the sauce so the pasta has its own gentle heat, separate from the chicken. Start with a half teaspoon if you want the kick mostly on the chicken.
Baby spinach
Two cups wilt into the sauce and add color without weighing it down. Frozen spinach works if you thaw it, squeeze out the liquid, and stir it in only to heat through.
Storage Tips
Keep the chicken and the pasta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The sauce, without spinach, keeps 3 to 4 days as well. Reheat it gently over low to medium heat, then stir in the spinach. Freezing is not ideal. The cream sauce can separate once thawed.
Spiced Tuscan Chicken Linguine
Ingredients
Pasta
- 16 ounces linguine
Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened in hot water, drained, and finely chopped
- ¼ cup (56 g) tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 cup (240 g) chicken stock
- 1 ½ cups (357 g) heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions
Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Chicken
- Slice each breast in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner pieces. Stir together the paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, and black pepper, then season both sides of the chicken.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and 165°F in the center. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
Sauce
- In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up the browned bits. Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, crushed red pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper. Lower the heat to medium-low and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the linguine and toss until the noodles are coated. Top with the chicken and serve right away.
This recipe was inspired by Spicy Tuscan Chicken Pasta by Iamhomesteader.com