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This Vegan Tuscan Chicken Pasta is the perfect pasta dish when you’re craving a comforting meal. Make this Italian-inspired recipe for a delicious weeknight dinner or at-home date night.
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The Flavors of Tuscany in a Vegan Pasta Dish
If you’ve been here for any length of time, you’ll know vegan pasta is one of our favorite meatless meals. It’s so versatile to make – from more traditional recipes like Vegan Lasagna or Bolognese Sauce to more creative flavor pairings like this Creamy White Bean Pasta, Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta, or Creamy Red Curry Pasta. When you have a box of this pantry staple, you’re guaranteed to be able to make a delicious meal.
This Vegan Tuscan Pasta recipe is inspired by the flavors of Tuscany – fresh sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, wine, pasta, mushrooms and dark leafy greens all tossed together in a luscious creamy sauce. If you love our Creamy Tuscan Tofu or our Vegan Sausage Pasta, you’re guaranteed to love this creamy pasta dish!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegan butter: We love the savory richness that vegan butter adds, but if you prefer, opt for a quality cooking oil such as olive oil.
- Vegan chicken: Unlike our Creamy Tuscan Vegan Chicken dish that we make with super firm tofu, we opted for store-bought vegan chicken here for its convenience and bite-sized pieces.
- Aromatics: You’ll need a simple combination of diced shallot and freshly minced garlic cloves.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper season the dish without overpowering the flavor in the cream sauce and the roasted veggies.
- Dairy-free sour cream and cream cheese: This combination adds a rich creaminess that’s slightly tangy. For convenience, we opted for store-bought versions of both, but feel free to swap in a homemade version like our Vegan Cream Cheese recipe.
- White wine: A dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc helps to deglaze the pan and enhances the flavors with its subtle sweetness and acidity.
- Pasta: Any pasta of choice will work well. If you’d like to make the most authentic pasta dish, try our Homemade Vegan Egg Pasta.
Veggies
- Mushrooms: Any brown mushrooms including shiitake, baby Bella, cremini, or even thinly cut portobello mushrooms work best. White mushrooms can be used, but they will have a much milder flavor that will get lost in the dish.
- Roasted red peppers: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade roasted peppers.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: We use sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil, as they have a greater depth of flavor, but dry packaged sun-dried tomatoes that have been rehydrated will work, too.
- Spinach: Fresh or frozen baby spinach works well. Or if you prefer, opt for a similar leafy green, such as Tuscan Kale, baby kale, arugula, or another leafy green of choice.
Equipment Needed
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- 2 large pots (or 1 large pot and 1 large, high-walled skillet)
- Colander or fine mesh sieve
- Spatula
How to Make Vegan Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Cook the chicken. Melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the chicken, chop it into bite-sized pieces as necessary, and set aside.
- Cook the pasta. According to package instructions, cook the pasta in a large Dutch oven or pot, then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the remaining butter over medium heat Using the same pot you used to cook the chicken. Once melted, add the garlic and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the shallots are softened and the garlic is fragrant. Add the red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the mushrooms. To the same large skillet, add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes more, until softened and some of their moisture has been released.
- Deglaze the pan. Stir in the white wine and stir, deglazing the pan as needed. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid begins to cook off. Season with an additional pinch of salt.
- Add the vegetables. Stir in the fresh baby spinach, roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Allow everything to cook for another 3 minutes or until the fresh spinach is bright green and beginning to wilt.
- Make it creamy! Add in the dairy-free sour cream, cream cheese, and 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Mix everything until smooth and creamy.
- Add pasta and vegan chicken. Lower the heat to medium heat and add the cooked pasta, parmesan, and vegan chicken. Mix until uniform, adding additional reserved pasta water as needed.
- Serve. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste, then serve with fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, and vegan parmesan cheese or as desired. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
As is, this pasta dish is hearty enough to serve as a standalone lunch or dinner with a glass of white wine. It’s a complete meal with plant-based protein, carbohydrates, an array of fresh produce, and a rich creaminess that’s good for the soul.
If you’d like to serve this pasta with a simple side dish, we’d recommend a light salad, such as this Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad or a slice of your favorite crusty bread or homemade vegan garlic bread.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you are gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta and a gluten-free vegan chicken. Always check the ingredients labels to make sure it’s suitable for your diet and free of any animal products or allergens.
The alcohol in the wine evaporates after a few minutes of simmering. If you prefer to cook without alcohol, feel free to replace it with an equal amount of vegetable broth or vegan chicken broth.
We like Kite Hill cream cheese and have used it in a number of our recipes with great success. Tofutti and Trader Joe’s also make popular vegan cream cheeses that are relatively accessible in the United States.
Storage Instructions
This creamy pasta dish is best enjoyed fresh, but leftover pasta will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After refrigeration, you’ll notice the pasta absorbs a majority of the creamy sauce. To make it creamy again, reheat on the stovetop at a medium-low heat with a splash of broth. The extra broth will help loosen up the creamy pasta sauce as much as possible.
More Vegan Chicken Recipes You May Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Vegan Tuscan Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Tuscan Chicken Pasta is the perfect pasta dish when you’re craving a comforting meal. Make this Italian-inspired recipe for a delicious weeknight dinner or at-home date night.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 (8-ounce) bag vegan chicken
- 8 ounces pasta of choice
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- ¼ teaspoon italian seasoning
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 cup dairy-free sour cream
- 1/2 cup dairy-free cream cheese
- 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato halves, finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Fresh parsley to garnish
- Vegan parmesan
- Red pepper flakes
Equipment
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- 2 large pots (or 1 large pot and 1 large, high-walled skillet)
- Colander or fine mesh sieve
- Spatula
Instructions
- Brown the vegan chicken. In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter. Add in the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and crispy on the edges. Remove the chicken and set aside and cool. If the vegan chicken is in large pieces, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook pasta. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
- Sauté the garlic and shallots. In the same pan over medium heat, heat the remaining butter until warm. Add the garlic and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the shallots are softened and translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Cook the mushrooms. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes more.
- Add the white wine. Next, stir in the white wine and turn the heat to medium-high. Let everything cook until the liquid begins to cook off. Add a pinch of salt.
- Add in the fresh spinach, roasted red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.
- Make the cream sauce. Add in the dairy-free sour cream, dairy-free cream cheese, and 1/3 cup pasta water. Mix until smooth.
- Add the pasta, parmesan and vegan chicken. Lower the heat to medium and mix in the cooked pasta, parmesan and cooked vegan chicken. Mix until uniform, adding more pasta water as needed—season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve warm. Serve with garnishes of fresh parsley, vegan parmesan cheese, and/or red pepper flakes, as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage Instructions: This pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: After refrigeration, you’ll notice the pasta absorbs a majority of the creamy sauce. To make it creamy again, reheat on the stovetop on medium-low heat with a splash of broth. The extra broth will help loosen up the creamy pasta sauce as much as possible.
- White Wine: The alcohol in the wine evaporates after a few minutes of simmering. If you prefer to cook without alcohol, feel free to replace it with an equal amount of vegetable broth or vegan chicken broth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
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