A creamy Tuscan chicken made worthy of a Scarpetta 

I’m back for another week of college cooking. I am happy to say, by week three, this was already the best-tasting thing I have made in a long time. This is not to discredit other recipes but, given the combination of ingredients and flavor profile of the result, this dish did not leave anything to be desired. 

This week’s dish is “creamy Tuscan chicken,” made by the very talented food TikToker @BiteswithBecs. When I saw this recipe at first, like any other consumer and appreciator of foods, I saw the word “Tuscan” and pictured the beautiful sights of Tuscany, Italy. 

Italy has that ubiquitous association with delightful and fresh ingredients, exemplified by the dish we are going to make today. It’s great given that all colors of the Italian flag are represented in the recipe. The red, green and white together just gives an impenetrable aura of terrific and fresh flavor profiles. That’s why, if something even has a loose association to Italy, the brands will do everything to broadcast it.  

This column’s star is not chicken, unfortunately. It isn’t even an ingredient provided by the original recipe. It’s the “Scarpetta.” The is the word Italians have for when you use bread to “mop” up whatever is left on the plate. Even more amazing is that the word directly translates to “little shoe,” because when you soak up something with bread, it will leave little footprints on the plate.  

Anyway, let’s get into how we make a dish so worth “Scarpetta-ing.” It will become your next favorite word in your food vocabulary arsenal.  

First, you cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise. It helps to press down with your non-dominant hand while doing this and then slice halfway down the breast from your hand. Make sure to slice outwards, so as to not compromise your hand. Season each side with garlic powder, salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika and oregano. 

Cook them at medium-high heat in a sauté pan that had been pre-filled with only a drizzle of olive oil, and a more generous drizzle of the oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. This combination adds to a great flavor profile, and I loved it because it creatively utilized ingredients. Cook until golden brown on each side and work on cutting your vegetables in the meantime.  

Chop up two shallots. This is one of my favorite things to chop, since you look like a pro doing it and it is satisfying because the shallot holds itself together while you chop. Cut the cherry tomatoes lengthwise. Opening these tomatoes up will allow them to release sugary tomato flavor, which makes them tasty. Get three garlic cloves; crush and mince them, which means to finely chop. 

Wash your spinach and prepare to add it to your pan. Prepping while your chicken is cooking saves time and makes it feel like you are on a cooking show with all of the ingredients portioned out in front of you. Once the chicken is done, put it on a plate and cover the plate with foil, so it does not lose heat. Make sure to let the pan cool by removing it from the heat and turning the heat down to medium.  

Then, add in your shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Now, here is the ingredient that splits our recipe followers based on their ability to buy and obtain alcohol. If you can, add a splash of white wine; it will pick up all of the browned bits from the chicken. I won’t leave out our underaged students, so you can add a squeeze of lemon and a splash of chicken stock. This will work the same way. Cook these at medium heat for about five minutes, or until the vegetables turn soft.  

Now, chop up five to six sundried tomatoes super fine and add them in with your cherry tomatoes. Add in the remaining oregano and a touch of chili flakes. I cannot handle a lot of spice, so I added about a one-quarter teaspoon, but it is up to you how much you add. Cook these while constantly stirring so it does not burn for about two to three minutes. Once that’s done, add in heavy cream and then spinach—a little bit at a time so it does not overwhelm the space of the pan. 

Lastly, add in your chicken, and at the bottom of the plate, there should be plenty of juice that should be added to the pan. Add parmesan cheese and try the sauce while adding salt and pepper to taste. I added a bit more parmesan and a splash of heavy cream, since a creamy sauce is what I was going for. Let it all sit for five minutes at low heat, so the flavors all hang out for a bit before serving. In the meantime, put your Scarpetta bread or crackers in the oven to get them ready for when you serve.  

This dish will serve three to four people, and it only took about 40-45 minutes. If I made it before going out, this would be super doable during the week. You can stretch a portion or two if you serve it with rice as well. I am not joking when I say this is one of the best-tasting things I have ever made with regular grocery store ingredients and not the perfectly preserved, fresh products from Tuscany, Italy. Lastly, this was perfect for a Scarpetta, which I always appreciate as the conclusion of a delightful meal.  

Ingredients: 

Five chicken breasts 

Two shallots 

Eight-ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes 

Parmesan cheese 

Eight-ounce container of baby-bella mushrooms 

Paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion power and oregano (enough to lightly dust on each chicken breast) 

Olive oil 

One tablespoon of garlic 

Spinach 

White wine or chicken stock 

Lemon juice (if using chicken stock) 

Cherry tomatoes 

Heavy cream 

Price: $54.79 (including all spices) 

Recipe Rank: 5/5