Tuscan Chicken Orzo (Printable)

Tender chicken and orzo tossed in a luscious cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. An elegant one-pan Italian classic.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
08 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
09 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Orzo & Sauce

10 - 1 cup orzo pasta
11 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1 cup heavy cream
13 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

→ Garnish

15 - Fresh basil leaves for serving
16 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving

# Directions:

01 - Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until golden and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute.
05 - Add the orzo and stir well to coat with oil and aromatics.
06 - Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low.
07 - Add heavy cream and return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and the sauce has thickened.
08 - Stir in the Parmesan cheese and spinach. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the spinach wilts and cheese is melted. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of broth or water.
09 - Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired.
10 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The orzo cooks directly in the sauce, absorbing all those gorgeous Italian flavors while starching the liquid into something velvety and luxurious.
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means maximum flavor development and minimum cleanup—my favorite kind of cooking math.
02 -
  • The sauce will continue thickening as it sits off the heat, so don't panic if it looks slightly looser than you want when you first finish cooking.
  • Don't skip the step of toasting the orzo in the pan—it adds a subtle nutty flavor that makes the whole dish taste more complex.
03 -
  • Room temperature cream blends more smoothly into hot sauces without risk of separating, so take it out of the fridge while you prep.
  • Use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan—metal can scratch your skillet and you want all those flavor bits in your sauce, not stuck to the spoon.
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