Tuscan Chicken Macaroni
Take your taste buds on a little holiday with the Italian-inspired flavours of this seriously creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Inspired by our popular Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe, we’ve added some macaroni pasta and ramped up the cheesiness to bring you this hearty, satisfying midweek meal.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories430
- Carbs38g
- Protein40g
- Fat11g
- Saturates6.1g
- Sugars12g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
If you’ve tried and loved our Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe, this new twist is guaranteed to be a hit. By adding in some macaroni pasta and some extra Parmesan cheese, we’ve created a super hearty, filling dinner that’s a proper family feast.
Your mouth will be watering from the minute this dish starts bubbling under the grill – the cheesy smell is guaranteed to make you hungry! Dotted with sweet, roasted tomatoes and leafy green spinach, this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni really looks the part when you bring it to the table.
Despite all the cheesy, pasta goodness, we’ve kept the calories far lower than you’d expect from this kind of comfort food. Even though we’ve not scrimped on cheesiness, each portion works out at just 430 calories. This recipe is batch-cook friendly too (and nothing beats the leftovers for lunch the next day!).
Hearty and satisfying all on its own, you can always add some steamed green veggies on the side to help you get to your 5-a-day.
What diets is this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni suitable for?
This Tuscan Chicken Macaroni recipe can be made gluten free as long as you swap the following ingredients for suitable gluten-free versions;
- Dried macaroni
- Reduced-salt chicken stock cube
Please make sure to double check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Tuscan Chicken Macaroni?
You won’t need any special ingredients to make this recipe, although there are a couple of bits of equipment that will help you out.
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You’ll need a 18 x 27cm ovenproof dish like this Pyrex Inspiration Glass Roaster.
A large deep frying pan will come in handy time and time again.
How many calories are in this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni?
There are 430 calories per portion in this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni recipe, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence recipe category. If you’re counting calories or following one of the popular diet plans like Weight Watchers, this recipe fits in perfectly!
NHS guidelines suggest men should aim for 2,500 calories per day to maintain a healthy body weight, and women require around 2000 calories. Each person has different calorie requirements depending on their goal, so you may want to adjust your daily calorie intake according to your own personal goal.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C, line a large baking tray with foil and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Place the tomato halves on the baking tray in a single layer, cut side up. Spray with more low-calorie cooking spray and season with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until they have wrinkled a little. Remove and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 8- 10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain well and return to the saucepan, cover with a lid and set aside off the heat.
Step 3
Spray a large, deep frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until softened a little.
Step 4
Add the stock cube to the water. Add the diced chicken, stock, basil and oregano to the pan and simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the stock has reduced a little and the chicken is cooked right through. There should be no sign of pinkness and the juices should run clear.
Step 5
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until it has completely blended in. The sauce should be the consistency of single cream. If it is too thin, continue to simmer, uncovered, until it has reduced to the correct consistency. If it is too thick, stir in a little water.
Step 6
Stir in 30g Parmesan cheese, the cooked macaroni and the spinach until just wilted. Add the roasted tomatoes and gently stir in. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 7
Preheat the grill on the medium setting. Transfer the mixture to an 18 x 27cm ovenproof dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan cheese and place under the grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
Step 8
Serve with steamed green vegetables or other accompaniment of your choice.
What could I serve with this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni?
While this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni is delicious and filling on its own, you could serve it with an 80g portion of steamed green vegetables. This would add an extra 38 calories per serving, for a total of 468 for the whole meal.
Alternatively, dish it up alongside any of the following side dishes:
How do you know when Tuscan Chicken Macaroni is cooked?
You should cook this Tuscan Chicken Macaroni until the chicken is cooked all the way through, with no pinkness in the middle. You also want to wait until the pasta is tender and the cheese on top has turned golden brown. This will take a total of around 40 minutes.
Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe!
How long can you keep Tuscan Chicken Macaroni in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat this dish within 4 hours.
You can keep any leftover Tuscan Chicken Macaroni in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Make sure you let the leftovers cool completely before storing them in an airtight container with a lid in the fridge.
Can I freeze Tuscan Chicken Macaroni?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Tuscan Chicken Macaroni?
From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost overnight and reheat from chilled.
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Tuscan Chicken Macaroni
Take your taste buds on a little holiday with the Italian-inspired flavours of this seriously creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Inspired by our popular Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe, we’ve added some macaroni pasta and ramped up the cheesiness to bring you this hearty, satisfying midweek meal.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
40 MINS
- KCals 430
- Carbs 38G
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C, line a large baking tray with foil and spray with low-calorie cooking spray. Place the tomato halves on the baking tray in a single layer, cut side up. Spray with more low-calorie cooking spray and season with salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes until they have wrinkled a little. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 8- 10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain well and return to the saucepan, cover with a lid and set aside off the heat.
- Spray a large, deep frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until softened a little.
- Add the stock cube to the water. Add the diced chicken, stock, basil and oregano to the pan and simmer, uncovered, over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the stock has reduced a little and the chicken is cooked right through. There should be no sign of pinkness and the juices should run clear.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until it has completely blended in. The sauce should be the consistency of single cream. If it is too thin, continue to simmer, uncovered, until it has reduced to the correct consistency. If it is too thick, stir in a little water.
- Stir in 30g Parmesan cheese, the cooked macaroni and the spinach until just wilted. Add the roasted tomatoes and gently stir in. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Preheat the grill on the medium setting. Transfer the mixture to an 18 x 27cm ovenproof dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan cheese and place under the grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
- Serve with steamed green vegetables or other accompaniment of your choice.
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Recipe notes
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13 comments
See what others have to say
HelenThursday 12th September 2024
Can I sub Parmesan for cheddar
HollyTuesday 24th September 2024
Hey Helen, yes you can use Cheddar cheese if you prefer and alter the calories accordingly, hope that helps!
SamSaturday 20th May 2023
I made this last week and it was delicious! Can I make it ahead and reheat the whole thing in the oven the next day?
SharonWednesday 21st June 2023
Hi Sam, we’re so pleased you enjoyed or Tuscan Chicken Macaroni. You could make the whole dish ahead and reheat it. We would recommend reheating in the microwave as sit will stay more moist than in the oven. If your only option is the oven, you could add a splash of water to the dish and cover tightly with kitchen foil. Hope this helps!
SineadThursday 2nd March 2023
Hi! Keen to try this recipe, just wondering (considering the current shortage!) is there anything you could swap tomatoes for? Thanks!
SharonFriday 3rd March 2023
Hi Sinead, if you can’t get hold of fresh tomatoes you could see if sun-dried tomatoes are still available in jars.They would increase the calories in the dish, but if you’re not too concerned about this they would be a good replacement.You would use them straight from the jar and cut them into small pieces. Alternatively, you could roast some diced red pepper until soft or used roasted red pepper that comes in a jar. Do hope this helps!
Rebecca PayneSunday 12th February 2023
How long will it last in the fridge
SharonMonday 13th February 2023
Hi Rebecca, you can keep Tuscan Chicken Macaroni in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Tim BoWednesday 1st February 2023
Your method is using more Parmesan than what is specified in the indegrients.
HollyThursday 2nd February 2023
Hey Tim, the recipe has 30g Parmesan added to the recipe along with the cooked macaroni and the spinach. Then sprinkle 15g of Parmesan cheese on the top before popping under the grill. Hope that helps!
Helen BoltonTuesday 31st January 2023
When altering the number of servings down to 2 the amount of stock required remains 500ml – as it does if the number of servings are increased . Is this correct ?
HollyThursday 2nd February 2023
Hey Helen, I have adjusted the ingredients so that the water and stock cube are listed separately, this means the amounts will now alter when altering the servings, hope that helps!
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