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This creamy and healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta with spinach and sun dried tomatoes will satisfy your pasta craving! This easy chicken recipe is skinny, family friendly, and can be cooked in your Instant Pot, in the slow cooker, or on the stovetop. Easy to make dairy free!
Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a popular menu item at the Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden. It’s a decadent pasta dish loaded with Italian flavors. My copycat recipe adds a healthy twist to this classic meal.
This healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta has all the flavors of the restaurant version, without all the calories, sodium, and fat. I love making this recipe in one pot using my Instant Pot, but it can also be made in the Crock Pot or right on the stove.
This is one of my favorite healthy pasta recipes, and it’s great for meal prep because it keeps well in the fridge for the week and it freezes and reheats well.
I’m just here for the healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts. If you’d like to skip over the parts about freezing, swapping ingredients, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe.
Ingredients:
- Sun-dried tomatoes: You can find these sweet gems in your produce section. They are usually in a bag or jar. Be sure and grab the kind that does not contain oil. If you have trouble finding them, you can substitute with fresh grape tomatoes. They work great, and still provide the sweetness.
- Italian Seasoning: This is a space saver for your pantry. A variety of basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme all combined in one bottle.
- Garlic: Did you know that in Northern Italian cooking they don’t use garlic, only in Southern and Tuscan cuisine.
- Chicken: Cut your chicken in 1 inch cubes or ½ inch thick strips to promote quick and even cooking.
- Chicken Broth: You can make your own or grab some from the store. If buying, make sure to get low sodium.
- Pasta: I use whole wheat noodles, but you can easily swap this for a gluten free noodle but be sure to reduce the cooking time (I use the rule of half the cooking time on the package minus 2 minutes). If using regular pasta, drain the extra water after
- Cottage Cheese: Be sure and grab 2% cottage cheese. It will help lower the saturated fat and calories without over-processing, like in the fat-free varieties.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a great source of protein, probiotics, and calcium. It works well as a substitute for sour cream and cream cheese in pasta dishes.
- Spinach: An excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and K, and full of fiber, calcium, and iron.
- Basil: Popular in cuisine worldwide for its sweet aromatic flavor. You can also use dried in this recipe, if you don’t have fresh handy. Just reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.
- Parmesan Cheese: I love grabbing a wedge of fresh parmesan and grating it myself. The light nuttiness ties this recipe together perfectly.
Recipe Tips:
- You can substitute fresh, halved grape tomatoes in place of sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce your cooking liquid by ½ cup when using fresh tomatoes.
- While this recipe tastes best when followed exactly, you can add more Greek yogurt or more cottage cheese if you don’t have one of them.
- Cut your chicken in equal-bite sized pieces to make sure they are cooked evenly.
- You can reduce the carbs in this recipe by only using 1 ½ cups of dried pasta and 1 ½ cup of broth.
- Add more spinach and tomatoes to increase your vegetables per serving, or add a salad as a side dish.
- Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Instant Pot Instructions
Time needed: 13 minutes.
- Cook your tomatoes
Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and lightly spray the pot with olive oil spray. Once your pot is hot add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Brown your chicken
Add your cut chicken to the pot, and cook 2-3 minutes stirring often. This will prevent your chicken from clumping together while it’ s under pressure. Once your chicken is browned on all sides add your chicken broth.
- Add pasta
Add your pasta to the pot and stir well, ensuring that all noodles are below the liquid.
- Pressure Cook
Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the time for 3 minutes.
- Make your sauce
While your chicken is cooking, blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together until smooth, then set aside.
- Quick Release
When the cook time is complete, quick Release the pressure, and remove the lid. Stir. Drain any excess liquid from the pot.
- Add Spinach
While your noodles are still hot stir in spinach, and basil. Once the leaves have wilted, stir in your blended cottage cheese, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil.
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Spay a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat, sauté the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and sauté until browned on all sides.
- Transfer chicken and tomatoes to your crockpot and top with chicken broth.
- Cook on high heat 2-3 hours or low heat 4-5 hours.
- Add your pasta during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain extra liquid and add in spinach and basil, stir until wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, stir into your noodles.
- Finally, add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Stovetop Instructions
- Spay a large skillet/pot with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat, sauté the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
- Next, add your cubed chicken and sauté until browned on all sides.
- Add chicken broth and noodles to the pot.
- Once the broth begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Boil 12-15 minutes stirring often to avoid clumping.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain excess liquid. Add in the spinach and basil, stir until wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, stir into your noodles.
- Finally, add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Healthy Eating Plans:
- 21 Day Fix: For the entire 21 Day Fix Tuscan Chicken pasta recipe: 2 ½ Green Containers, 10 Red Containers, 12 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. I give you the count for the entire recipe so its easier to re-calculate the containers if you change something.
- For each 1 ½ cup serving: 1/3 Green Container, 1 2/3 Red Containers, 2 Yellow Containers, and 1/3 Blue Containers.
- 2B Mindset: I would eat this as a healthy lunch with extra vegetables.
- Weight Watchers: For weight watchers recipe and points information see this post: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/weight-watchers-tuscan-chicken-pasta/
Looking for more healthy Instant Pot recipes?
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes:
Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
This creamy and healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta with spinach and sun dried tomatoes will satisfy your pasta craving! This easy chicken recipe is skinny, family friendly, and can be cooked in your Instant Pot, in the slow cooker, or on the stovetop. Easy to make dairy free!
Servings: 6
Approximate Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Calories: 467kcal
Equipment
Instant Pot 6 qt
Sealing Rings
Kitchen Knife
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes sun dried with no oil or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 lbs chicken breast (about 2 large breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth low sodium (one cup for Crockpot and stovetop method)
- 3 cups whole wheat pasta I used one 12 oz. box
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese 2%
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt 2%
- 2 cups spinach baby
- 1/4 cup basil fresh, or 1 tsp dried basil
- 2/3 cup cheese parmesan
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and lightly spray the pot with cooking spray. Once your pot is hot add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add your cut chicken to the pot, and cook 2-3 minutes stirring often. This will prevent your chicken from clumping together while it’ s under pressure. Once your chicken is browned on all sides add your chicken broth.
- Add your pasta to the pot and stir well, ensuring that all noodles are below the liquid.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the time for 3 minutes.
- While your chicken is cooking, blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together until smooth, then set aside.
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure, and remove the lid. Stir. Drain any excess liquid from the pot.
- While your noodles are still hot stir in spinach, and basil. Once the leaves have wilted, stir in your blended cottage cheese, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil.
Stove Top Directions:
- Spay a large skillet/pot with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat sauté sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
- Add your cubed chicken and sauté until it is browned all sides.
- Add the chicken broth and noodles to the pot.
- Once the broth begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Boil 12-15 minutes stirring often to avoid sticking.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain the extra liquid and add in the spinach and basil. Stir until wilted.
- Blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth and stir into your noodles.
- Add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Crock Pot Directions:
- Spay a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium/high heat, sauté the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic until fragrant.
- Add your cubed chicken and sauté until browned on all sides.
- Transfer chicken and tomatoes to your crockpot and top with chicken broth.
- Cook on high heat 2-3 hours or low heat 4-5 hours.
- Add your pasta during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
- Once pasta is cooked drain extra liquid and add in spinach and basil, stir until wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, stir into your noodles.
- Finally, add your parmesan cheese. Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- You can substitute fresh, halved grape tomatoes in place of sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce your cooking liquid by ½ cup when using fresh tomatoes.
- If using gluten free pasta, reduce cook time to 2 minutes.
- While this recipe tastes best following exactly you, you can add more Greek yogurt or more cottage cheese if you don’t have one of them.
- Cut your chicken in equally sized pieces to make sure the are all cooked evenly. Large pieces of chicken may not cook long even.
- You can sub fresh basil for dried, just add 1 tsp with your tomatoes.
- You can reduce the carbs in this recipe but only using 1 ½ cups of dried pasta and 1 ½ cup of broth.
- Add more spinach and tomatoes to up your vegetables per serving.
- Add salt and pepper to your taste.
- 21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe: 2 ½ Green Containers, 10 Red Containers, 12 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. For each 1 ½ cup serving: 1/3 Green Container, 1 2/3 Red Containers, 2 Yellow Containers, and 1/3 Blue Containers.
- 2B Mindset: I would eat this as a healthy lunch with extra vegetables.
- Weight Watchers: For weight watchers recipe and points information see this post: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/weight-watchers-tuscan-chicken-pasta/
Nutrition
Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1371IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3mg
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How much broth should you use if you are using regular noodles?
Hey Sam! I have never made this with regular noodles, but what I’d do to test it out is use the same amount of water but then drain it before adding the cream base at the end. If you measure the drained water you’ll know how much to use next time!
I made this tonight and followed the crockpot version. It turned out sticky, but good flavor. Maybe I’ll try it again with less noodles and more broth.
I made this last night and it was a hit with my family of picky eaters! I followed the stovetop recipe and it came out perfect! I was sceptical that my decadent pasta lovers would go for this, but everyone loved it! Even my 2 1/2 year old gobbled it down, which is pretty impressive! Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m not a fan of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Are there any substitutions?
I promise you can’t taste them because they’re blended together – it removes the chunks from the cottage cheese and the tang from the yogurt. You can use ricotta if you want but it’ll be a bit watery.
I’m confused … do you add the dry pasta to the crockpot half an hour before finish .. Then drain it? or do you cook the pasta separately then add ???
Adding the pasta to the crockpot 1/2 hour before the cook time is finished is perfect – push it under the food and it cooks :) Another option if to cook it separate and add it in at the end!
Hi Becca, I followed the instructions for crockpot which called for 1 cup of broth. When I put the pasta in with 30 minutes left, it didn’t cook still. I had to add in some water for it to cook. Should I have added more broth in the beginning?
Hi Danielle! 1 cup has been enough for me in the past, but sometimes I need to add more for certain recipes. I’d just make a note of it for next time you cook this! :)
One of my favorites. Thank you so much.
I’ve made this recipe a few time using the stovetop directions with great success. I used veggie pasta to try to make it even healthier and it worked great. I have also made it before with some leftover meal-prepped Greek-spiced chicken (I cubed it and added it toward the end of the pasta cooking) and that worked as well. The recipe was very forgiving and open to adjustments. My boyfriend did not think a Greek yogurt and cottage cheese pasta would taste good, but it’s a nice, nondescript creamy flavor. I do add some garlic powder, parsley, crushed red pepper, and salt to the cream base when I blend it. I will also say that different pasta shapes soak up different amounts of liquid. I didn’t have to drain it when I used small elbow macaroni, but I did have to drain a bit of the broth out when I used penne. Thanks!
By blend do you mean with a blender?
Blender, mixer, or food processor is fine! The goal is to get the chunks out of the cottage cheese :)
Loved it!
Hi Becca,
Is the Nutrition Information for one serving or for 6? Let me know. Thank you!
Hi Alyssa! Nutrition is for one serving :)
Can you substitute Cottage Cheese for something else
???
Hi Peggy, you can swap it for more greek yogurt but it’ll be thick–if you’re worried about not looking cottage cheese I urge you to take a chance–the blending of the cottage cheese and greek yogurt gets rid of those chunks in the cottage cheese.
If you end up using all greek yogurt you might still have a little “tang”, and I’d use some almond milk to thin it out if you think it’s too thick :)
Silly question, but drained or undrained roasted red peppers?
Sun dried tomatoes? If they have oil, drained:)
Hi, In the header it says easy to make dairy free, but I’m not seeing a substitute for the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. Any suggestions? I can not have dairy but this sounds so yummy! Thanks
Heather, I leave out the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt! You could definitely sub it with a dairy free plain yogurt, but it’s SO good without the dairy substituted!