Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Healthy Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe

This healthy Tuscan chicken pasta recipe is a delicious and nutritious take on a classic favorite. With a few simple substitutions, it's easy to create a dish that's satisfying at a fraction of the calories.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Servings:

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Clara

Ingredients

Sauce

1 clove Garlic
¼ Yellow Onion
½ teaspoon Calabrian Chili (Optional: Use for some spice)
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
⅓ cup Low Fat Milk
⅛ teaspoon Cornstarch
2 teaspoon Parmesan Cheese

Pasta and Chicken

52 grams Pasta
4 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
½ cup Spinach
6 Cherry Tomatoes
2 sprigs Parsley
1 teaspoon Parmesan Cheese
½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions

Roast the tomatoes – Slice the cherry tomatoes into halves, spray with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes either by air frying (10 minutes) or adding to the oven for 400 degrees (20 minutes).
Marinade the chicken – Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano into a mixing bowl and mix. Cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces, trimming off the excess fat. Mix the chicken pieces thoroughly with the spice mix so that each piece is coated with the mixture.
Cook the pasta – Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Be sure to boil in salted water and save some of the pasta water.
Prepare the vegetables – Mince the onions and garlic and watch the spinach thoroughly.
Cook the chicken – Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add the chicken pieces in a single layer, cooking for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked.
Sauté the aromatics – Add the onions, garlic, tomato paste, and Calabrian chili if using into the pan and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden.
Add the spinach and milk – Lower the heat down to medium-low and add in the milk and cornstarch along with the spinach. Mix everything thoroughly, adding pasta water as needed to achieve the desired sauce consistency.
Mix in the pasta – Mix in the pasta along with 2 teaspoon of parmesan cheese and continue to use pasta water to achieve the desired sauce consistency.
Garnish and serve – Plate the pasta, garnishing with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

Milk substitutions – Unsweetened almond milk, low-fat milk, half and half, plain greek yogurt. You can also use coconut milk if you don't want dairy.

Tuscan chicken without pasta – Omit the pasta and enjoy the dish as an entree with some healthy vegetable sides.

Expert Tips

Roast the tomatoes – To roast tomatoes, you have a couple of options. I sprayed mine with cooking spray and air-fried mine at 400F for 10 minutes. You can also roast it in the oven at the same temperature for 20-25 minutes.

Prevent milk from curdling – To prevent milk from curdling, turn down the heat to low and add a small amount of starch to prevent it from reacting with the acid from the tomatoes.

Nutrition