Low Carb Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Published May 16, 2025 • Updated June 9, 2026
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I make this low carb tuscan chicken pasta at least twice a month because the lupini orzo holds cream sauce like real pasta, the chicken thighs stay juicy, and it all comes together in one skillet with under 10g net carbs.
I’ve been making Tuscan chicken in some form since 2018, but this pasta version is the one my family actually requests. It started when I discovered lupini orzo and realized I could build a real pasta dish (not a cauliflower rice approximation) that comes in under 10g net carbs per serving. I tested this recipe four times before I stopped second-guessing the lupini orzo, and by the third round I knew it was going into our regular rotation.
What makes this different from my other Italian recipes (like Italian keto chicken and rice or my keto skillet lasagna) is the lupini orzo. It holds cream sauce the way real orzo does, it doesn’t get gummy sitting in liquid, and here’s what I didn’t expect: the cream sauce doesn’t split when you reheat it the next day. That never happens with regular pasta. Most keto pasta substitutes fall apart in cream sauces, but lupini has enough protein and fiber to hold its shape through cooking, sitting in the fridge overnight, and reheating.
The chicken thighs are the other half of why this works. I sear them hard in the skillet first (pat them completely dry before they hit the pan, not just a quick swipe), then finish them in the oven at 400 degrees while I build the pasta base. The fond left in that skillet after searing goes straight into the sauce. That brown layer on the bottom of the pan is where half the flavor comes from. If you’re into one-pot dinners like my chicken noodle skillet or keto hamburger helper, this follows the same logic. Build layers in one pan, less cleanup, better depth.
The sauce comes together fast once the orzo is tender. Sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and onion go into the butter and fond, then the lupini orzo simmers in chicken broth until it absorbs most of the liquid. I finish with heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan (not the pre-shredded kind, or the sauce gets grainy), baby spinach, and fresh basil. The whole thing goes from skillet to table in one pan.
If you’re feeding people who aren’t watching carbs, this is the recipe where they won’t notice. A reader’s husband who hadn’t eaten pasta in years scraped his bowl clean and checked how much was left in the pan. It doesn’t taste like a substitution. For more low carb Italian dinners that hold up the same way, try my creamy pesto chicken or keto baked ziti.
Getting the chicken sear and cream sauce right
I’ve made this enough times to know where things go sideways. The two biggest factors are the chicken sear and when you add the cream.
For the chicken: pat the thighs completely dry with paper towels before they hit the skillet. I mean completely dry, not a quick swipe. The surface moisture is what prevents browning, and that golden crust is where the flavor concentrates. I heat the oil until it shimmers, then leave the chicken untouched for a full 3-4 minutes per side.
For the sauce: the cream goes in after the lupini orzo has absorbed most of the broth. Adding cream too early lets it simmer too long, which makes it curdle. I stir it in at the very end along with the parmesan, and I always use freshly grated parm, not the pre-shredded kind (the pre-shredded bags have anti-caking agents that make the sauce grainy instead of smooth). The whole thing comes together in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
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Marinated Chicken Ingredients
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs -
¼ cup avocado oil, divided
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2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
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1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Tuscan Pasta Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter
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1 small onion, finely diced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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7 oz jar sun dried tomatoes in oil, oil drained
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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8 oz package lupini rice
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3 cups chicken broth
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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3 cups baby spinach leaves
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1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Chicken marinade
Preheat oven to 400°F. To a large bowl, add chicken, 2 tablespoons avocado oil and remaining chicken ingredients. Mix until chicken is evenly coated with seasoning. Set aside to marinade for 10 minutes.
- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cook the chicken
Heat a large, oven-safe skillet to medium high heat. Pour in remaining oil and swirl around to coat pan. Working in batches, add chicken thighs to the skillet, spacing about ½ inch apart to allow for proper searing. Sear on each side for 3-4 minutes or until a golden crust forms. Remove and repeat with remaining chicken. Return all chicken to the skillet and place skillet in the oven to finish cooking the chicken for about 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet, covered with aluminum foil to retain heat and set aside while you work on the pasta.
Add Italian flavor
To the skillet, add butter and melt over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Stirring occasionally, cook until onions are translucent.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 7 oz jar sun dried tomatoes in oil, oil drained
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Add the pasta
Stir in lupini rice to evenly coat the rice with the sauce. Pour in chicken broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid or it has cooked off about 20-25 minutes.
- 8 oz lupini rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
Finish the Italian flavors
Stir in heavy cream and cheese. Then stir in spinach leaves, cover, and let cook for 1-2 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, then add in sliced chicken
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
What is lupini pasta and why use it instead of other keto pasta options?
I switched to lupini orzo after years of using cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles in cream sauces. The difference is texture. Zucchini releases water as it cooks, which thins out any cream sauce. Cauliflower rice works but doesn't feel like pasta. Lupini orzo is made from lupini beans, so it's naturally high in protein and fiber with very few net carbs. It holds its shape in liquid, absorbs sauce properly, and doesn't turn to mush on day two. I order mine from Amazon or Thrive Market (I use the Kaizen brand).
Does the lupini orzo get gummy or fall apart in the cream sauce?
No, and that's the main reason I use it. I've cooked it in the cream sauce for over 25 minutes and it still held its shape. The key is letting it simmer in the broth first until the liquid is mostly absorbed, then adding the cream at the end. If you dump everything in at once, any pasta will get waterlogged. I've reheated leftovers on day three and the orzo was still intact.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
I use thighs because they have more flavor and they're harder to overcook. Breasts work, but I'd cut them thinner (about 3/4 inch thick) and pull them from the oven a couple minutes earlier. The sear-then-oven method in this recipe keeps breasts from drying out, but they're less forgiving than thighs if you overshoot the time.
How do I keep the cream sauce from curdling or getting greasy?
Two things I've learned from making this over and over. First, add the cream after the lupini orzo has absorbed most of the broth, not before. Cream that simmers too long at high heat will break. Second, use freshly grated parmesan, not the pre-shredded kind. Pre-shredded parm has anti-caking agents (cellulose powder) that prevent it from melting smoothly. I grate mine on a microplane right into the skillet.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes. I use lupini orzo, which is made from lupini beans with no wheat. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free. If you're celiac, I'd double-check your chicken broth label since some brands use wheat-based thickeners, but the recipe itself has no gluten.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested this with full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream, and it works. The sauce is a touch thinner but still coats the orzo. Skip the parmesan and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for that savory depth. It's not identical, but my friend who's dairy-free said she'd make it again, which is the real test.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot or slow cooker?
I've made a modified Instant Pot version. I sear the chicken using the saute function, remove it, build the sauce base, then pressure cook the lupini orzo in broth for 3 minutes with a quick release. The cream, parmesan, and spinach go in after. It cuts the active time down, but I still prefer the skillet version because the oven-finished chicken has a better crust. I haven't perfected a slow cooker version yet.
What should I serve with this?
This is a full meal on its own, but I like to pair it with something crunchy. A simple side salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness. If I'm feeding a bigger group, I'll make my keto minestrone soup as a starter or set out a plate of roasted broccoli with parmesan. For more low carb Italian ideas, my keto spaghetti is another one my family requests.
If I swap breasts for thighs, should I lower the oven time?
The recipe already calls for thighs, so you're good there. If you're working with breasts instead, I'd cut them about 3/4 inch thick and pull a couple minutes earlier.
Oh good, thighs are already in there. Way easier than I thought.
48.8 grams of protein stopped me the first time I logged this, I genuinely thought I'd entered it wrong (cream pasta pushing 50g protein per serving doesn't compute until you do the math on three pounds of chicken thighs). Batch seven now and at some point I started adding quartered artichoke hearts right before the spinach goes in and I'm not backing down from this, they hold their texture in the cream sauce and the brininess cuts right through the richness, makes the whole dish feel like more. Using water-packed not marinated because the marinated ones make the sauce go muddy and you lose the clean cream entirely. The lupini orzo still surprises me every single batch, it actually absorbs and holds the sauce instead of just sitting in it, and that's why this works as a pasta dish when nothing else really does. Sun-dried tomatoes going in alongside the artichokes next time, curious what two salty things do to each other in there.
Water-packed is the call, Tyler. Marinated ones muddy the cream before it even comes together. The sun-dried tomatoes thing is interesting, I'd want to know if two salty things layer or just compete.
did one batch and now Sunday without it feels wrong
Sunday's perfect for it, Luz. Honestly, the leftovers reheat better than most cream pastas I've made.
Wasn't sure cream pasta would hold its own at my friend's Sunday dinner, but it was the first pan to empty. The lupini orzo kept its texture long enough that nobody was picking through mush at the end. One guest asked what brand of pasta I used and when I said it was lupini, she stopped and pulled her phone out right there to look it up. Only real note: serve it soon, it does soften past 30 minutes.
Phone out at the table, that's the lupini reaction every time. 30 minutes is generous actually, I pull it off heat and we eat immediately.
Swapped the spinach for arugula right at the end and the peppery bite against that cream sauce completely changed the dish for me. Way more interesting, and it barely wilts so there's still some texture.
Two years into keto the only craving I never kicked was cream pasta. Not anymore. Sauce could be a little thicker but that hasn't stopped me from making this three nights running.
Alex, three nights in a row is basically a standing order. For the thickness, I let the cream reduce 3-4 minutes uncovered right before serving. Freshly grated parmesan also helps it cling more than the pre-shredded stuff.
Pull it at 160, not 165. The carryover is everything.
I've started pulling at 158 actually. Chicken thighs hold heat and keep going for a couple minutes off the pan, so by the time they rest 165 is already in the rearview.
Fourth time making this and the lupini orzo holding up in that cream sauce is still the part that surprises me.
That texture held through 25 minutes of simmering when I was testing it. Didn't budge. It's why I stopped defaulting to zucchini noodles.
Only had chicken breast on hand so that's what I used, seared it hot so it wouldn't dry out once the cream sauce came together. The lupini orzo soaking up all that Tuscan cream is something I wasn't ready for. Permanently in the rotation.
Hot searing was the right call, breasts need that crust to hold moisture before they hit the sauce. The lupini in that cream still gets me every time, it drinks it up in a way regular pasta never does.
I only had chicken breasts and swapped them in, genuinely expecting to ruin everything, but I pulled them at 165 and let them rest in the sauce and somehow they came out perfectly juicy. The lupini orzo freaked me out a little when I first saw it in the pan but it holds the cream sauce in a way that I still don't fully understand. Been adding extra spinach and an extra clove of garlic since my second batch.
Pulling at 165 and resting in the sauce is exactly what saves chicken breasts in this. They don't have the fat thighs do, so the carry-over in the liquid matters more. I've been quietly doubling the garlic too.
I've tried three different keto pasta recipes this year and not one of them held cream sauce without it just pooling at the bottom. The lupini orzo in this actually grabs onto it. Made this on a Sunday and was already thinking about the next batch by Tuesday.
On my fourth or fifth batch now and somewhere along the way I stopped measuring the garlic (using closer to 6 cloves instead of 4) and the sauce just gets richer when it all melts together in the butter. Started throwing a handful of sun-dried tomatoes in with the spinach on my last two rounds and it deepened the whole thing in a way I didn't expect, almost like it had been simmering for an hour. The lupini orzo still picks up every drop of that cream sauce and I keep forgetting it's not regular pasta. This one's not going anywhere.
The sun-dried tomatoes are going in mine next time. Six cloves was already where my garlic was drifting anyway.
My son is a strict 'if it looks weird I'm not eating it' kid, so I was bracing for complaints when I put this on the table. He cleaned his plate and asked if there was more. The lupini orzo passes the visual test, which honestly is half the battle in this house. Going into the regular rotation.
The visual test is exactly why I use lupini over zucchini noodles. Zucchini doesn't fool anyone. Lupini actually looks like pasta.
My grandmother made a version of this every Sunday with regular pasta. First dish I crossed off the list when I went keto two years ago. Made it last week, and that sun-dried tomato cream sauce got me closer to that memory than I expected. The orzo is a bit softer than real pasta. That's the only reason I'm at four stars. But the chicken thighs in that sauce, one skillet, is exactly what Sunday cooking used to feel like.
Softer is fair. Lupini doesn't have that same al dente pull as semolina. But if the sauce got you close to those Sunday memories, I'll take it.
I only have chicken breasts on hand right now, will those still stay juicy through the cream sauce or do the thighs really make a difference here?
Breasts work, just cut them thinner (around 3/4 inch) and pull a minute or two early. The thighs are more forgiving but you'll be fine.