Tuscan Garlic Chicken

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This copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken has a rich creamy sauce. It’s restaurant quality meal made from scratch in just 45 minutes!

For more tasty Italian dishes, try Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Potatoes and Chicken Tetrazzini.

An Olive Garden Copycat

It’s been a few years since I’ve made this recipe, but it’s such a good one! I couldn’t help but breathe some new life into it. This cozy, comforting dish is my take on Olive Garden’s popular dish.

While it may not be exact, it is delicious, and that’s all that matters, right?! It is definitely a dish your family will love.

I used my Le Creuset buffet casserole which was the perfect size for every step in this recipe. Enameled cast iron = even heat distribution + easy release. That’s exactly what you want when you’re searing chicken!

How to Make Tuscan Garlic Chicken

BREAD. To start, you’ll want to bread three large chicken breasts (or 6 cutlets), then sear them in a hot skillet 

BAKE. Toss the chicken into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or so, let it get nice and crispy.

BOIL. Meanwhile, boil your pasta and start the sauce.

SAUCE. First sauté the garlic and bell pepper until tender, then add the flour and cook until a thick paste forms. Add the chicken broth, milk, and half & half, simmer until a nice thick sauce forms. Throw in a big handful of freshly chopped spinach, then once it’s wilted add the cheeeeeese!

TOSS & SERVE. Toss the cooked noodles in the sauce, then top with sliced chicken.

Enjoy this dish with a big salad or some crusty bread. It’s going to be one you’re going to want to make again & again!

Can you use heavy cream instead of half and half? The recipe calls for half and half, but can easily be replaced by heavy cream. This change just makes a thicker sauce texture, which is totally fine! If you are worried about the sauce becoming too thick, you can always mix in some milk to thin it out.

What to serve it with?

When this dish is served at Olive Garden, it always comes with a soup or salad, and those delicious unlimited breadsticks (of course)!

Here are some soups, salads, and breads that all compliment this dish nicely. 

• Easy Cobb Salad
• Grilled Panzella Salad
• Buttery Pull-Apart Rolls
• Heavenly Dinner Rolls
• Asparagus Soup
• Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

Storage Tips

Storing: You need to store the pasta and chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep refrigerated for 1-3 days. Cream sauces don’t last too long, so try to eat the leftovers quickly. 

Reheating: When reheating, you may need to add some more milk to the sauce to thin it out after it’s been sitting. 

 For more favorite pasta recipes, try:

• Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Chicken Lasagna
• Baked Ziti
• Garlic Butter Noodles
• Instant Pot Spaghetti

Tuscan Garlic Chicken Recipe

This copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken has a rich creamy sauce. It's restaurant quality meal made from scratch in just 45 minutes!

5 from 6 votes

Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1015kcal

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts - or 6 cutlets
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the Pasta

• 1 lb fettuccine

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 red bell pepper - cut into 2" long thin strips 
• 1/2 tsp kosher sea salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 cup fresh spinach - roughly chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese - freshly grated

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, set aside.
• In a shallow dish, combine the flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Lay each piece of chicken into the mixture and toss until both sides are fully coated.
• In a a large skillet set over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken into the pan, making sure not to rub off the coating. Sear chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side (making sure not to move it around) until golden brown.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• While the chicken is baking, heat a large pot of water and cook the fettuccine according to the package's instructions. Drain and set aside.
• While the noodles are cooking, set the same skillet used to sear the chicken over medium-low heat. Add the butter. When has melted, add the bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and paprika, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, milk and half & half. Turn heat up to medium and bring mixture to a simmer. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and the sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
• Stir in parmesan cheese, then remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Add pasta and toss to combine.
• Serve pasta in bowls topped with sliced chicken and extra parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 1015kcal | Carbohydrates: 125g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 199mg | Sodium: 1523mg | Potassium: 1031mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3098IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 494mg | Iron: 6mg