Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Creamy linguine makes a rich base for tender chicken and browned mushrooms in this pasta dish. Kale and tomatoes add texture and a fresh note, giving each forkful something to enjoy alongside the smooth cream sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Cook while the pasta bubbles
The sauce pieces come together while the linguine cooks, so start the water first. Once the pasta is in, you can move through the mushrooms, kale, and chicken without waiting around.
2. Keep the vegetables aside
After the mushrooms brown and the kale wilts, move them to a plate and cover them. That short rest keeps them warm while the chicken cooks in the same pan.
3. Save a little pasta water
Before draining the linguine, scoop out the reserved cooking water. You may not need all of it, but it gives you an easy way to loosen the cream sauce if it thickens too much.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken pieces
Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces as listed so it cooks through in the short pan time. Smaller, even pieces also mix more easily through the pasta and vegetables at the end.
Kale leaves
Use the coarsely chopped leaves here. They only cook briefly after the mushrooms are browned, so you want pieces that can wilt quickly without disappearing into the pan.
Linguine, or another long pasta
Linguine is the listed pasta, and other long pasta varieties will also work. The important bit is returning the drained pasta to its pot before adding the cream, so the sauce can thicken around it.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 9 steps completeMake room for Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Spoon the chicken and vegetable mixture over the creamy pasta, then finish with the chopped parsley. Serve it right away while the sauce is glossy and the greens still look fresh.
A little more help as you go
Use the oil in two rounds
The olive oil is divided for a reason: one tablespoon cooks the mushrooms and kale, and the other goes into the wiped pan for the chicken. That keeps the second round from tasting crowded or browned too far.
Season as you go
Follow the separate seasoning stages for the mushrooms, chicken and cream before bringing the dish together.
A few questions you might have
Why do I need to wipe out the pan before cooking the chicken?
After the mushrooms and kale come out, the pan gets wiped and fresh oil goes in for the chicken. It gives the chicken a cleaner, hotter start instead of cooking in leftover vegetable moisture.
Should the kale be fully cooked before I take it out of the pan?
No, it just needs to wilt. The kale cooks for a minute or two after the mushrooms are tender and browned, then it comes back later with the chicken and tomatoes.
When do the tomatoes go in?
Add the diced tomatoes after the chicken is cooked and the reserved vegetables are back in the pan. They only cook for a minute, which keeps them from breaking down too much.
What should I do if the cream sauce gets too thick?
Use the reserved pasta water to thin it. Add it only if needed after the cream has cooked with the pasta and started to thicken.
Do the chicken and vegetables get mixed into the pasta?
Place the chicken and vegetables on top of the pasta, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
