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Low Carb Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D. Recipe developer and pharmacist

Published Updated

23 ratings

One skillet is all this low carb tuscan chicken pasta needs — juicy chicken thighs, lupini orzo that holds cream sauce like real pasta, and 9.5g net carbs with 48.8g protein. It's on my table at least twice a month.
  • 9.5gnet carbs
  • 48.8gprotein
  • 60minutes
  • 8servings
Creamy Tuscan chicken and orzo with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan.
Looking down into a skillet filled with sliced chicken on top of a creamy orzo Italian pasta dish.
A fork holding a bite of Italian tuscan chicken pasta.
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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.

A plate of cooked chicken over a bed of creamy pasta filled with tomato and spinach.

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. Once they come out to rest, the same skillet goes back on the stove for 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, fresh basil, and a tablespoon of lemon juice. 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.

A white cast iron skillet filled with a creamy orzo pasta and cooked slice chicken thighs.

How to lower the net carbs even more

I’ve played around with a few adjustments when I want to keep this even leaner on carbs:

  • Use less lupini orzo: I sometimes cut it in half and throw in extra spinach or diced zucchini to fill out the bowl. Same creamy sauce, fewer carbs.
  • Skip the sun-dried tomatoes: They bring great flavor but a few extra grams. I’ve swapped in fresh chopped tomatoes when I wanted to shave things down.
  • Swap the onion for green onion: Less sugar, still gives you that aromatic base. I use about 3 stalks, sliced thin.
  • Go lighter on the cream: Reduce to 1/4 cup and add a little extra parmesan for thickness. The sauce still coats everything.

How to store and reheat leftovers

This stores and reheats better than most cream-based pasta dishes, which is the main reason I make a full batch even when it’s just the two of us.

Refrigerator: I keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavors settle in and taste even better on day two.

Freezer: I’ve frozen this and it works, but the lupini orzo softens a bit when thawed. Use a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating: I warm it in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce. The key is low heat so the cream doesn’t break. Microwave works too, 30-second intervals with stirring.

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. The chicken is done at 165 degrees inside. I check the thickest thigh with an instant read thermometer when the skillet comes out of the oven.

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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The recipe

Low Carb Tuscan Chicken Pasta

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Prep 20 min Cook 40 min Total 60 min Serves 8

Ingredients

Servings 8

Marinated Chicken Ingredients

Tuscan Pasta Ingredients

Step by Step Instructions

  1. 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.

    For this step

    • 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
    A bowl with marinaded skinless, boneless chicken thighs.

  2. 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.

    Cooked chicken thighs in a skillet.

  3. 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.

    For this step

    • 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
    Sauteed sun-dried tomatoes and onions in a skillet.

  4. Add the pasta

    Stir in lupini orzo to evenly coat it 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 orzo has absorbed most of the liquid or it has cooked off about 20-25 minutes.

    For this step

    • 8 oz lupini orzo
    • 3 cups chicken broth
    Creamy cooked low-carb orzo in a skillet with sun-dried tomato sauce.

  5. 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.

    For this step

    • 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
    Wilted spinach is mixed into a creamy orzo pasta skillet dish.

Nutrition

Calories
507
Fat
28.8g
Protein
48.8g
Total carbs
18.8g
Fiber
9.3g
Net carbs
9.5g

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.

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, once they reach 165 degrees inside. 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.

What is the best pasta to eat on a low carb diet?

Lupini orzo is the best low carb pasta I've found. It's made from lupini beans, so it's high in protein and fiber, and it keeps this whole dish at 9.5g net carbs per serving. It absorbs cream sauce instead of sitting in it and holds its texture on day two. Zucchini noodles release water and thin the sauce, and cauliflower rice never feels like pasta, which is why I stopped using both.

How many carbs are in tuscan chicken?

My low carb tuscan chicken pasta has 9.5g net carbs and 18.8g total carbs per serving. The chicken, cream, and parmesan are naturally low in carbs. Most of the carbs come from the lupini orzo, sun dried tomatoes, and onion, and the fiber in lupini is what keeps the net number under 10g.

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Reviews

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4.7 from 23 ratings, 23 written

Made this recipe?

Replying to Phil

Your rating

Donna

If I swap breasts for thighs, should I lower the oven time?

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Donna

Oh good, thighs are already in there. Way easier than I thought.

Reply

Tyler

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Luz

did one batch and now Sunday without it feels wrong

Reply

Annie Lampella

Sunday’s perfect for it, Luz. Honestly, the leftovers reheat better than most cream pastas I’ve made.

Reply

Valerie

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.

Reply

Taylor

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.

Reply

Alex

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Rosa N.

Pull it at 160, not 165. The carryover is everything.

Reply

Rebecca

Fourth time making this and the lupini orzo holding up in that cream sauce is still the part that surprises me.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Gina

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Carla

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Rhonda O.

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The pooling is the whole reason I stopped using zucchini noodles in cream sauces. It just releases water and the sauce is gone before you’re even plating. Tuesday sounds about right.

Reply

Phil

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The sun-dried tomatoes are going in mine next time. Six cloves was already where my garlic was drifting anyway.

Reply

Jordan

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

The visual test is exactly why I use lupini over zucchini noodles. Zucchini doesn’t fool anyone. Lupini actually looks like pasta.

Reply

Crystal

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.

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Kristen

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?

Reply

Annie Lampella

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.

Reply

Vanessa

Used my cast iron instead of a regular skillet and the chicken got this deep golden crust that my nonstick never pulls off (the sear before the oven is where the flavor actually happens, I’m convinced of it now). Threw in sun-dried tomatoes with the spinach too, and the cream sauce picked up this intense, slightly sweet tang. Suddenly the whole thing tasted more Tuscan than Tuscan. Four stars because I slightly oversalted mine, but next week I’m fixing that.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Sun-dried tomatoes are sneaky salty, especially oil-packed ones. Try rinsing them before they go in and that fixes it. Cast iron for the sear, I’d never go back.

Reply

Josh I.

Third time making this in six weeks and I finally figured out why the sauce keeps getting better: letting the cream reduce a full extra minute before adding the spinach makes it noticeably thicker. The lupini orzo holds onto all of it, which honestly surprised me the first time. Going to try it with the sun-dried tomatoes doubled next time.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Yeah, spinach releases water the second it hits the pan. Reducing first buys back that thickness. Double sun-drieds is going to be a lot of flavor in there.

Reply

Hannah H.

First time working with lupini orzo and I held my breath when I added the cream (pasta substitutes have let me down before), but it absorbed everything without getting weird. Does it reheat well the next day or is it better same-day?

Reply

Annie Lampella

Reheats great actually. I add a splash of broth when warming it up, the sauce firms up overnight. Stovetop gives you more control.

Reply

Wendy

Been rebuilding my pasta rotation since going keto three months ago, and this was my first time with lupini orzo. My main concern was whether it would sit in the cream sauce or actually absorb. Seared the thighs in my stainless for fond, then followed the recipe pretty close. The orzo absorbed the sauce in a way I wasn’t expecting, closer to real pasta than anything I’ve tried. Added a squeeze of lemon at the end (force of habit with cream and spinach) and it sharpened everything right up. Doubling the batch next weekend.

Reply

Annie Lampella

Lemon with cream and spinach just clicks. I forget it half the time and always notice when I don’t. Have fun with the double batch.

Reply

Dana Miller

I’ve been making this almost every week since I stumbled on it (the way the cream sauce clings to the lupini orzo is genuinely wild for something so low carb), and I want to bring it to my sister’s place for Easter next Sunday. Plan is to cook everything Saturday and reheat at her place, but I’m not sure if the cream sauce holds up overnight or if it’ll be grainy and sad by Sunday. Better to store it all together in the fridge or keep the sauce separate from the pasta and chicken? Also, when reheating, do you add more cream or broth to loosen it back up, or does it come back on its own? The chicken thighs seem like they’d stay juicy either way but the sauce is what I’m most worried about. My sister just started cutting carbs so I really want this to land.

Reply

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