Bring the restaurant home with this Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken! Pasta is tossed in a creamy garlic sauce with spinach, red peppers, garlic, and chicken.
I really love finding restaurant dishes that I love and trying to recreate them at home as close as I can, especially with Copycat Olive Garden recipes.
This Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken may not be on the menu any more, but you can recreate it at home!
Pasta Noodles
So the classic Olive Garden dish is made with malfadine pasta, which is like a wide fettuccine with edges like lasagna noodles. And the vary edges are my FAVORITE part of a lasagna noodle 🙂
It is difficult to find this pasta in most stores, so I just used fettuccine here.
Other pasta shapes can work as well. Just keep in mind the more edges you have, the less saucy it will appear.
For example, angel hair pasta being so thin means a higher number of noodles in a pound, meaning more surface to cover. Same for certain shapes like rotini that have a lot of ridges.
Roasted Garlic Cloves
Garlic is the prominent flavor in the sauce and dish. I love to use roasted garlic cloves.
The roasted garlic can also be skipped, but I love getting those pockets of extra flavor in the pasta!
If you skip them, you might want to add more garlic powder to the sauce. Just taste and adjust accordingly.
Vegetable Variations
I am a big fan of tweaking recipes for what you like or have on hand.
There are so many great vegetables you could use in this Olive Garden pasta that would taste great!
I love to add asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.
Cooking Tips
This pasta could be made all in one pot, but it takes longer since you can only make one thing at a time.
If you are able to take your time and start earlier, it is nice to only have the one pot to clean later!
First cook the pasta, then the chicken, then the sauce, and mix when it is all done. The warm sauce will help un-stick the cooled pasta as you move it around.
You can also easily make the sauce in advance for an even faster dinner idea!
Copycat Olive Garden
Copycat recipes from Olive Garden to enjoy at home!
Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo
This Copycat Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo is one of the most popular recipes on the site every year! Now discontinued, make this favorite recipe at home.
Copycat Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro
A fresh, vegan pasta recipe, this Copycat Olive Garden Capellini Pomodoro is packed with fresh tomatoes and basil.
Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
The popular Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup is made with sausage, potatoes, cream, and kale.
Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
The favorite Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo sauce recipe is maybe even better than the restaurant!
Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Breeze Vodka Cocktail
The popular Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Breeze Vodka Cocktail recipe is perfect for summer, packed with tropical flavors of orange, pineapple, and banana.
Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi
This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Scampi tastes JUST like the restaurant version! Tossed with a butter garlic sauce, peppers, and lightly breaded chicken.
Copycat Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Assembly
- 1 pound fettuccine
- ½ cup roasted red peppers strips or chopped (or 1 fresh red bell pepper)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen)
- 2 heads roasted garlic
Instructions
- Start the water for the fettuccine pasta. Cook as per package directions until just shy of al dente (it will be added to the sauce later and will continue to cook). If the pasta is done too early, drain and set aside while reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid just in case the sauce is too thick.
- As the pasta is cooking, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tablespoons of oil. Place the flour in a small dish or plate and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour to fully coat. Shake off excess flour. When the skillet and oil are hot, add the chicken. Cook approximately 5 minutes per side until browned and the chicken is cooked through. Set the chicken aside.
- Make the sauce (I like to use the now empty pasta pot). Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the 6 minced garlic cloves and garlic powder. Cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
- Add the 2 Tablespoons of flour and stir to incorporate until there is no dry flour.
- Whisk in the chicken stock, white wine, and heavy cream. Add the red pepper flakes, dried parsley, and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes over medium low, stirring occasionally.
- Add the Parmesan and stir until melted.
- Add the spinach, red peppers, and roasted garlic cloves (removed from the skins). Stir until the spinach has started to wilt, approximately 2 minutes. Season the sauce to taste.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine and coat. Serve immediately with the chicken.
Such a good and tasty recipe to make. I am sure everyone will love this!
This sounds like a wonderful dish! Seems very simple to make as well! Perfect for a busy week night meal! Thanks for the share!
It came out delicious
Taste just as good as Olive Garden. I think the spinach compliments this dish very well. Very delicious. Next time I will use the Olive Garden breadstick recipe to go with it.
Thank you, Ione! So happy you liked it and I agree the breadsticks would also be perfect!
That was so delicious!! But I slice the chicken breast before cooking and mix it in the pasta…fabulous, my guests adore!
So happy to hear it! And so glad it was a hit for your guests!
we’ve made this a dozen times and we love it. We do prefer to go a little easy with the roasted garlic but other then that perfect.
How wonderful! I am so glad you stopped by to let me know!