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This healthy 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.
Creamy 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.
Where’s the recipe?
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 that everyone, regardless of cooking skills, can make these recipes.
If you’d like to skip over the detailed instructions, information 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 in Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- 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 or roasted red peppers.
- 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? Fresh minced garlic is only used in in Southern and Tuscan cuisine.
- Chicken: Cut your chicken breasts into 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.
How to make Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and lightly spray the pot with olive oil spray. Once your pot is hot add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasonings. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add your cubed 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 the 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, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese together until smooth, then set aside.
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Stir the contents of the pot. Drain any excess liquid from the pot, keeping aside 1/4 cup. Add the 1/4 cup liquid to the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture and stir well.
- While your noodles are still hot, stir in spinach and basil. Once the leaves have wilted, stir in your blended cottage cheese mixture. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil.
How to make Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Lightly spray a large skillet with cooking oil, then add tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds or so until it becomes fragrant.
- Add your cubed chicken to the pan and brown for 1-2 minutes until the chicken no longer sticks together.
- Transfer chicken and sun dried tomatoes (all of the contents of the pan) to your crockpot and top with chicken broth.
- Cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, or low heat for 4-5 hours.
- About 20 minutes before you’d like to eat, boil the pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and add to the Crockpot.
- Drain any excess liquid (set aside 1/4 cup) and add spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted.
- Blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan cheese in a blender until smooth, and add the mixture to the Crockpot.
- Stir the cottage cheese mixture and 1/4 cup pasta water into the contents of the slow cooker.
- Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
How to make Stovetop Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Spray a deep skillet or large pot with cooking oil and then add the tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and black pepper. Sauté over high heat for 30 seconds.
- Add the cubed chicken and sauté until browned on all sides, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the pasta and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir and make sure all the noodles are just covered. Set aside ay extra broth. Once the broth begins to boil, cover your skillet and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add spinach and basil. Stir until spinach is wilted, then drain any excess liquid from the pan, setting aside about 1/4 cup of the pasta water in case you need it later.
- Blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, and reserved pasta water in a blender or food processor until smooth, then stir the mixture into your noodles.
- Stir one last time and serve immediately with extra parmesan and fresh basil, as desired.
Recipe Tips
- In a pinch, 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 double the Greek yogurt or cottage cheese if you don’t have one of them on hand.
- Cut your chicken into equal-sized pieces to make sure they are cooked evenly.
- Add more spinach to increase your vegetables per serving, or add a salad as a side dish.
- I don’t typically add salt to my recipes so that you can add salt and pepper to your taste and dietary needs.
- If using the crockpot or stovetop cooking method, start with 1 cup of water and slowly add more if needed to keep the recipe from becoming watery. *This amount will change if not using whole wheat pasta*
- If using gluten free pasta, reduce Instant Pot cook time to 2 minutes.
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 WW recipe and points information see this post: https://mycrazygoodlife.com/weight-watchers-tuscan-chicken-pasta/
More healthy Instant Pot recipes
More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta with Chicken
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Instant Pot Pad Thai with Tofu
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
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Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe
Approximate Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
Servings 6
This healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta recipe will satisfy your craving for creamy pasta without the calories! It's an easy healthy chicken recipe that your family will love, and you can cook it in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove.
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Sealing Rings
- Vitamix Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes sun dried with no oil or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 lbs chicken breast (about 2 large breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes)
- 3 cups chicken broth 1 cup only for Crockpot method. See article above for details.
- 3 cups whole wheat pasta I used one 12 oz. box
- ¾ cup cottage cheese 2%
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt 2%
- 2 cups spinach baby
- 2 tbsp basil fresh, or 1 tsp dried basil
- ⅔ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- 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. 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes 3 tbsp Italian seasoning 2 tbsp garlic
- Add your cubed chicken to the pot and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Once your chicken is browned on all sides, add your chicken broth. 2 lbs chicken breast 3 cups chicken broth
- Add your pasta to the pot and stir well, ensuring that all noodles are below the liquid. 3 cups whole wheat pasta
- Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- While your chicken is cooking, blend the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and grated parmesan together until smooth (in a blender or food processor), then set aside. ¾ cup cottage cheese ¾ cup Greek yogurt ⅔ cup parmesan cheese
- When the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Stir. Drain any excess liquid from the pot, keeping aside 1/4 cup. Add the 1/4 cup liquid to the cottage cheese mixture and stir well.
- While your noodles are still hot, stir in spinach and basil. Once the leaves have wilted, stir in your blended cottage cheese mixture. Serve immediately. Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil. 2 cups spinach 2 tbsp basil
Video
Notes
*For stovetop/crockpot directions, please see original post
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 into equal-sized pieces to make sure they are cooked evenly.
- Add more spinach and tomatoes to increase your vegetables per serving, or add a salad as a side dish.
- I don’t typically add salt to my recipes so that you can add salt and pepper to your taste and dietary needs.
- If using crockpot or stovetop cooking method, start with 1 cup of water and slowly add more if needed to keep the recipe from becoming watery. *This amount will change if not using whole wheat pasta*
- If using gluten free pasta, reduce Instant Pot cook time to 2 minutes.
- 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.
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
Make This Recipe?
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If I don’t have cottage cheese do you have an alternative suggestion?
You can double the yogurt, but it might be a little thick. You can use almond milk to thin it out if you have to :)
What a tasty and easy to make awesome chicken pasta. Great flavours.
Oh my gosh – this was such a hit! I needed a recipe using leftover chicken and so glad I found this recipe. I’m definitely making again :)
Can I substitute red peppers for tomatoes?
Absolutely :)
Should the 2/3 cup parmesan be grated or shredded?
Either is fine!
This was sooooo good!! Easy and quick to make, plus the whole family loved it!!
Hi! I’m making this tonight but plan on adding another 1/2 lb of chicken. Are there any other ingredients that I need to increase as a result? Thank you!! Looks delicious!!
I can’t think of anything you should add with that extra chicken–1/2 pound isn’t much, and the recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to the chicken!
Thank you, Becca!! :-)
;)
How about swapping ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese would that work too?
That should work!
O…..M…..G!!!! This is the best chicken pasta I have ever had!!!!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you liked it!
Delicious!
Delicious! Easy to make and the ingredients are not exotic. My kids loved it.
This was SO GOOD! I can’t wait to try it with a little bit of bacon and maybe some more veggies like broccoli!
Looks delicious! I want to make it in my slow cooker and just wanted to clarify- I cook it for 2-3 hours on high and then switch to low for 4-5 hours? Thanks for great recipes!!
Hi Britney,
You can cook in the slow cooker for 2-3 hours on high OR 4-5 hours on low. Thanks for bringing this to my attention; the post wasn’t very clear – I’ll edit it now :)
Do we put the chicken and pasta in the insta pot uncooked? Or do we precook?
You’ll want to brown the chicken on saute mode for 1-2 minutes (not cook completely). Once that’s done add the pasta uncooked :)
Hi Becca! Do you rinse sun dried tomatoes that were jarred in oil, or do you start with sun dried tomatoes that are in no liquid at all? Thanks!
We use sun dried tomatoes that aren’t in oil. You could probably rinse them or just dab some of it off but the oil will affect the calorie count somewhat :)
Thank you for this recipe!!! I really loved it. Filling and satisfying with great taste.
I used my instapot. I used chicken thigh meat since I had it in freezer and needed to use it up. I found I needed 4 cups stock so that is a carton to have enough liquid. Added a little water. Did use 12 oz pasta. Glad I removed the r oz. From the box that was 16 oz. It would have been too much. I cooked it for 6 min. Then reduced pressure as I found I like pasta more dente than 4 min. Produced. I did the rest same as recipe. I did use 1 Tbsp olive oil to cook the tomato and chicken. 8 servings 4 purple. Next time I will use chicken breast which will be less points .
Really good, works well with lentil pasta. Enjoyed by all😊
Ohhh yum!!
Can I ask if people have found this turns out nicer in crockpot or pressure cooker? Thank you!
I prefer it in the pressure cooker :)
Should there be a lot of liquid left after you cook the chicken and pasta
Nope, there shouldn’t be! Did you use whole grain pasta?
No
That’s why. When an IP recipe calls for a specific type of pasta it’s best to stick with that type or alter the recipe a bit. Whole grain pasta needs more water than other pastas–that’s why there was liquid leftover.
Do you think capers would be good in this?
They’d be delicious!