Creamy Tuscan Chicken
This looks like I spent hours on it. I spent 25 minutes. I accept compliments anyway.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika Kasia's addition
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil for serving
Method
Sear the Chicken
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165F / 74C internal). The crust matters — don't move the chicken while it cooks or you'll lose the golden colour. Transfer to a plate.
Build the Sauce
- Same skillet, reduce to medium heat. Add garlic — 30 seconds, fragrant, not brown. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all the fond (those golden brown bits on the pan are pure flavour). Let it simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth, golden, and creamy. Taste it. Try not to eat it all with a spoon before the chicken goes back in.
Add the Spinach
- Add the baby spinach in handfuls. It looks like way too much spinach. It wilts down to almost nothing in about 60 seconds. That's the beauty of spinach — 3 cups of raw becomes 1/2 cup of cooked, and it distributes through the sauce like it was always there.
Combine and Serve
- Nestle the chicken back into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the top. Tear fresh basil over everything. Serve with pasta, rice, crusty bread, or my personal favourite: kopytka, because those Polish potato dumplings were born to catch creamy sauce.