I struggled with what to title this one because I'm fairly certain this dish isn't a tried and true Tuscan pasta dish - but based off my experiences growing up in America, "Tuscan Chicken Pasta" is a very popular dish seen on menus at restaurants - at least in the Midwest. The components of this pasta dish are herb grilled chicken breast, parmesan cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms. I love the flavors and would always order it as a child!! I don't make it all the time but every once in a while it hits the spot - it's a very nostalgic dish for me!  

What you need:

• 2 thin chicken breasts
• Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and parsley for seasoning the chicken
• 1/2 lb farfalle pasta
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 4-6 garlic cloves (depends how big they are!)
• 1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 ish cup of sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 oz spinach (2-3 big handfuls)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

What to do:

1. ​Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, oregano and parsley. Cook in EVOO on medium-high heat until cooked through and the edges are nice and golden brown. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to it's packaging instructions.
3. Cook the onions and garlic in the same pan as the chicken and evoo, until they're translucent and fragrant. 
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine or chicken broth and melt some butter into it as you stir.
5. Next, add the sun dried tomatoes and heavy whipping cream. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until the sauce thickens up.
6. Once the pasta is done, add the spinach straight to the sauce, and then the piping hot strained pasta right on top of it. Add in a splash of reserved pasta water, a handful of parmesan cheese and season with black pepper.
7. Add the chicken back into the pasta and serve hot!

For the sake of SEO, we're calling this one 'pesto chicken pasta' but it's more of a version, and definitely not classic Italian pesto (due to my pine nut allergy.) I also added in a ton of spinach to give it a little more of a higher nutritional value!!