Tuscan Hen Bake – Heavenly Residence Cooking

This dump-and-bake Tuscan rooster bake is a creamy, tacky, and flavor-packed dish. With rooster, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach baked with pasta in a luscious coconut milk and cheese sauce, this recipe is each indulgent and easy. Excellent for weeknight dinners or a comfortable weekend meal, it’s a crowd-pleaser you’ll wish to make repeatedly.

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Close-up of a creamy Tuscan chicken bake topped with melted mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs in a white baking dish.

When you’re into creamy, comforting meals which might be tremendous straightforward to tug off, this Tuscan rooster bake goes to hit the spot.

It’s full of rooster, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, all baked collectively in a tacky, creamy sauce with pasta. It’s a kind of dishes that feels somewhat fancy however is definitely easy sufficient for a weeknight.

When you’re loving the sound of this, you may also wish to attempt my Hen Pesto Pasta or Caprese Hen Skillet. They’re simply as scrumptious and excellent for while you want one thing cozy and satisfying.

Table of Contents

What We Assume You’ll Love About This Recipe

One-Pan Meal. Every thing cooks in a single dish – pasta, rooster, and sauce – so cleanup is a breeze.
Wealthy and Creamy. The coconut milk, Parmesan, and mozzarella mix to create a luscious, velvety sauce.
Contemporary and Flavorful. Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasonings carry recent flavors to each chunk.
Simple for Weeknights. Fast prep and a hands-off bake time make this an ideal dinner for busy nights.
Extremely Customizable. Modify the spice degree, swap the coconut milk for heavy cream, or use gluten-free pasta to make it your personal.
A True Crowd-Pleaser. Comforting, tacky, and filled with taste – this dish is assured to impress household and buddies alike!

Ingredient Overview

Remember to try the complete recipe and ingredient checklist under

Overhead view of Tuscan Chicken Bake ingredients laid out on a marble surface, including chicken breasts, pasta, baby spinach, coconut milk, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, labeled for clarity.

Hen Breasts. We use boneless, skinless rooster breasts, reduce into smaller items to verify they cook dinner evenly and keep tender.
You’ll need to chop the breasts into cutlets. As talked about in our mushroom rooster submit, Serious Eats has an incredible tutorial on how to cut chicken breasts into cutlets. Then reduce every cutlet in half to make 8 rooster breast items in complete.
When you desire, boneless rooster thighs additionally work nicely.
Pasta. Brief pasta like penne or fusilli is right as a result of it holds onto the sauce superbly. Gluten-free pasta can be utilized as an alternative—simply regulate the cooking time, as it could cook dinner quicker.
Unsweetened Coconut Milk: Remember to use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk. We selected coconut milk as an alternative of heavy cream as a result of heavy cream tends to upset my husband’s abdomen, and it really works splendidly on this recipe! It offers the sauce a creamy, wealthy texture with a refined sweetness that balances the savory flavors. When you don’t have coconut milk or don’t wish to use it, the perfect substitutes are heavy cream or half-and-half (if dairy isn’t a problem) or cashew cream for a dairy-free choice.
Solar-Dried Tomatoes. These add tangy taste. When you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, roasted crimson peppers and even halved cherry tomatoes could make a superb substitute.
Child Spinach. Contemporary spinach provides colour and vitamins to the dish. Kale or Swiss chard can even work, although they might should be chopped finely or cooked barely beforehand.
Parmesan Cheese. This provides a salty, nutty taste to the sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese. Mozzarella offers the bake that melty, golden topping everybody loves.
Italian Seasoning. A store-bought Italian seasoning mix is fast and simple, however you may combine your personal with dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.
Hen Broth. Hen broth enhances the flavour of the sauce and ensures it’s not overly thick.
Crimson Pepper Flakes (Non-compulsory). These add a delicate kick of warmth. When you’re not a fan of spice, be at liberty to skip them or scale back the quantity.

The way to Make It (Step-By-Step Photographs)

Marinate the Hen: In a small bowl, whisk collectively the marinade elements, pour over the rooster in a resealable bag or dish, and refrigerate for half-hour to 4 hours.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C).

Overhead view of a white baking dish with uncooked pasta, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese, and seasonings ready to be mixed for Tuscan Chicken Bake. — **Step 2:** Mix the pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, rooster broth, coconut milk, Parmesan, and seasonings in a baking dish.

Overhead view of a white baking dish with pasta, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasonings mixed with a creamy coconut milk sauce for Tuscan Chicken Bake. — Stir to mix.

Overhead view of a white baking dish with seasoned chicken breast pieces placed on top of a creamy pasta mixture with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for Tuscan Chicken Bake. — **Step 3:** Place the rooster on prime of the pasta combination (optionally available: sear first for additional taste), cowl with foil, and bake for 35-40 minutes till the rooster is cooked via and the pasta is tender.

Close-up of Tuscan Chicken Bake in a white baking dish, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese before returning to the oven for the final bake. — **Step 4:** Sprinkle mozzarella over the dish, broil for 2-3 minutes till golden, let cool barely, garnish with basil if desired, and serve heat.

Suggestions for Success

Marinate for Most Taste and Juiciness. Let the rooster marinate for a minimum of half-hour, however when you have time, go for the complete 4 hours to infuse the rooster with extra taste.
Sear for Additional Depth. Whereas optionally available, a fast sear on the rooster provides a layer of taste and helps seal within the juices. It’s value the additional step when you have time.
Use Unsweetened Coconut Milk. Remember to use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk to keep away from an excessively candy or skinny sauce.
Select the Proper Pasta. Brief pasta shapes like penne or fusilli maintain up greatest throughout baking and absorb the sauce superbly. Keep away from delicate shapes which will overcook or break aside.
Examine for Doneness. Use a meat thermometer to verify the rooster reaches an inside temperature of 165 F (74 C). This prevents overcooking and retains the rooster juicy.
Don’t Skip the Stirring. When assembling the pasta combination, be sure that every part is nicely blended within the baking dish.
Broil with Care. Hold a detailed eye on the dish whereas broiling to make certain the cheese melts completely with out burning.
Relaxation Earlier than Serving. Let the dish relaxation for a couple of minutes after baking. This permits the sauce to thicken barely and the flavors to meld collectively.

Storage and Reheating

Fridge:
- Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Enable the dish to chill earlier than transferring it to a container.
Freezer:
- Cool the dish fully, then switch it to a freezer-safe container or tightly wrap it in foil and plastic wrap.
- Freeze for as much as 3 months.
Reheating:
- Oven: Reheat at 350 F (177 C) for 15-20 minutes or till warmed via. Cowl with foil to forestall the cheese from over-browning.
- Microwave: Warmth particular person parts within the microwave in 1-minute increments till sizzling. Add a splash of rooster broth or coconut milk to maintain the pasta moist.
Suggestions for Freezing and Reheating:
- Barely undercook the pasta earlier than freezing to forestall it from turning into too smooth when reheated.
- Thaw frozen parts within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating within the oven.

Close-up of Tuscan Chicken Bake in a white dish, with a piece of chicken topped with melted mozzarella being lifted out, showcasing gooey cheese and vibrant sun-dried tomatoes.

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook dinner Time:35 minutes

Marinating time:30 minutes

Complete Time:1 hour 20 minutes

Marinade:

¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 massive lemon or 2 small lemons
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Hen Bake:

2 raw boneless, skinless rooster breasts Reduce in half lengthwise to create cutlets, then reduce every cutlet in half horizontally (8 items complete)
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped (if in oil, drained and patted dry) (Be aware 1)
1 cup child spinach roughly chopped
1 cup rooster broth scale back by ¼ cup to account for rooster juices; see Be aware 1
1 13.5 ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk 13.5 ounces (or 1½ cups for much less) (Be aware 2)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese or dairy-free different
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or dairy-free different
1 to 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon salt regulate to style
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon crimson pepper flakes optionally available, for a bit of warmth (Be aware 3)
8 ounces raw pasta comparable to penne or fusilli (Be aware 4)
Contemporary basil for garnish (optionally available)

Marinade:

In a small bowl, whisk collectively olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Place the rooster breast items in a resealable bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over them.
Seal the bag or cowl the dish, then refrigerate for a minimum of half-hour (or as much as 4 hours for extra taste).

Hen Bake:

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a greased 9×13-inch baking dish or spherical baking dish, mix the raw pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, rooster broth, coconut milk, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and crimson pepper flakes (if utilizing). Stir every part collectively till nicely blended.
Take away the rooster from the marinade and prepare the items on prime of the pasta combination.If desired, for extra taste, you may briefly sear the rooster breast items in a big skillet on medium-high warmth for 1-2 minutes per facet earlier than including them to the baking dish. This isn’t crucial although.Cowl the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, or till the rooster reaches an inside temperature of 165°F and the pasta is tender. (See Be aware 5 for checking doneness.)
Take away the foil, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly excessive, and return the dish to the oven.Broil uncovered on excessive for a further 2-3 minutes, or till the cheese is melted and golden.Take away from the oven and let the dish cool barely. Garnish with recent basil if desired. Serve heat and luxuriate in!

If utilizing oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, pat them dry totally to keep away from extra oiliness within the dish.
For a extra conventional taste, you may substitute heavy cream for the coconut milk in equal portions. The bake will likely be equally creamy and scrumptious.
When you desire a light dish, skip the crimson pepper flakes. For a bit extra warmth, enhance to ½ teaspoon.
Select pasta shapes like penne or fusilli, which maintain up nicely throughout baking and soak up the flavors of the sauce superbly.
Use a meat thermometer to verify the rooster is cooked to 165°F. This prevents it from drying out. Checking it across the 35-minute mark is essential.