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Chicken Florentine Pasta is made in one skillet in just 25 minutes with diced chicken, penne pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy Parmesan sauce! This one skillet recipe is perfect for busy nights!
Get ready for a simple one dish dinner!
One Dish Dinner Winner
Saucy pasta is one of my go-to weeknight recipes, especially if I can manage to cook the pasta and the sauce and the rest of mix-ins all together in one dish. That’s a dinner time success in my book!
This Chicken Florentine Pasta is made in one skillet, loaded with chunks of tender chicken, tossed with a creamy Parmesan sauce that packs big flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes, and there is spinach involved so this is basically a super food. <— At least that’s what I tell myself as I go back for seconds.
We really love a saucy pasta moment, especially when sun-dried tomatoes are involved. They add such a big, bright flavor to every dish, like in our Greek turkey burgers. Obsessed.
And if chicken and spinach aren’t your thing? I have a smoked sausage version of this dish that is just the best thing ever. Get the recipe for the sun-dried tomato pasta recipe.
Or skip the pasta and go for my enchilada skillet! These dishes are great for the summer since you don’t have to heat up the oven!
What Is Chicken Florentine?
The term florentine comes from the city of Florence, in Italy, and is a way of preparing chicken with a creamy sauce and spinach! If this sounds a bit like a Tuscan recipe, that’s because Florence is in Tuscany.
Our creamy Tuscan white bean soup is another delicious option if you love Italian food.
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken – We prefer chicken breasts, but you can use thighs or tenderloins as well! Just chop them up nice and small.
Sweet Onion – We add onion to this pasta, but it’s easy to leave this out for picky eaters.
Penne Pasta – We’re using penne, but any small shape of pasta will work just fine.
Chicken Broth – I’d recommend using a good quality chicken broth that you know has lots of great flavor. The penne pasta is going to soak all that broth up so it will make big difference on the flavors.
Half and Half – This is a mixture of half whole milk and half heavy cream. In the US, you can buy this near the cream. Alternately, you can make your own by just combining the two.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – I love the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes! I’m using the kind that are not packed in oil for this recipe. They add wonderful tomato flavor to the pasta.
Parmesan Cheese – Grate your own for the best results! Do not use the powdered kind in the green shaker can.
Baby Spinach – This is an easy way to work some extra nutrition into the pasta, plus it just tastes good! The baby spinach provides flavor and texture.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
What We Love About This CHICKEN FLORENTINE PASTA Recipe:
- One Skillet: This recipe is simple with everything prepared in one skillet, including the pasta! That makes for less mess and clean up.
- 30 Minutes: We love a quick dinner and this one is done in less than 30 minutes!
- Flavors: The sun-dried tomato in the rich, creamy Parmesan sauce with the tender pasta and savory, juicy chicken is pretty much perfect!
How To Make Chicken Florentine Pasta:
Dice up the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown in a large skillet. Toss in the onions to soften as well.
Add the pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, and half and half to the skillet. Give it a stir and bring to a boil. Cook covered for about 12 minutes.
Sprinkle on the Parmesan and give the mixture a stir. The pasta should be tender and lightly coated in a creamy sauce.
Add the spinach to the skillet, cover, and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes to wilt the spinach. Give it a stir and serve hot!
Chicken Florentine Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound chicken breasts diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 sweet onion diced
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cups half and half
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach rinsed and dried
Instructions
- Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat and add the butter to melt. Stir to coat the pan.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook 2 more minutes, stirring often.
- Add the pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet. Pour in the broth and half and half. Stir well to combine.
- Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 12 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Remove the lid and stir in the grated cheese until melted.
- Stir in the spinach. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to wilt spinach.
- Stir well before serving.
Renee says
This was fantastic! I did add one clove of minced garlic, for 30-seconds, after the onions were cooked, because we like the taste of garlic and Parmesan together, in these type of sauces.
Will be making this again!
Karly Campbell says
Sounds delicious!