Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This one pan chicken spinach pasta recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight meal with tender chicken, pasta, and spinach enveloped in a creamy sauce subtly flavored with garlic and lemon. No one will believe you cooked the whole dinner in just one pan!
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large skillet with lid
Servings: 4
Restaurant Pasta, but in One Pan
Does having people over stress you out? Even as someone who develops recipes for a living, I get it. Sometimes entertaining feels overwhelming, and ordering pizza seems easier. That’s why I created this creamy chicken spinach pasta. It’s impressive enough for guests, but stress-free to make. It’s one pan, easy to prep, and totally delicious.
Why you’ll love it:
- One-pan convenience: No boiling, no draining, minimal cleanup. One pot pasta recipes have totally changed the way I cook pasta!
- Crowd-pleaser: Who wouldn’t love tender bites of chicken, with perfectly cooked pasta, smothered in a rich cream sauce?
- Tried and true. This recipe is based on my popular creamy chicken pasta recipe so you know it’s going to be a win! Once you learn the basics of this recipe, be sure to try creamy chicken pesto pasta and marry me chicken pasta, too!
How To Make Chicken Spinach Pasta
Cook the chicken. Heat a splash of olive oil in a skillet that’s large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Once it’s hot, add the chicken to the pan, season it with salt and pepper, and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it’s completely cooked. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate, and set aside.
Sauté the onion and garlic. Discard any juices that may be left in the skillet. Over medium heat, add another splash of oil, and then the diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute or so.
Cook the pasta. Pour the broth into the skillet, then stir in the dry pasta. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the broth comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and simmer until the pasta is just tender.
Cooking Tip
It’s important to stir the pasta a few times, to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the skillet or sticking together. If it seems like the pasta is getting too dry, add a bit more broth or water. Keep in mind that by the end of the cooking time, almost all of the liquid should be absorbed by the pasta.
Add spinach. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in handfuls of the spinach. It will seem like a lot at first, but the tender leaves wilt quickly and shrink pretty drastically. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Make the sauce. Over medium low heat, slowly stir in the heavy cream and then the Parmesan cheese. Add the lemon zest, and stir to make sure it doesn’t stay in a clump. Stir in the cooked chicken. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly. Keep the heat low so the sauce doesn’t separate.
Serve. Taste the sauce, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Stir in the parsley. Scoop portions of the creamy pasta into shallow serving bowls. Garnish with more parsley and extra Parmesan cheese, if you like, and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy chicken and spinach pasta with a fresh green salad dressed with lemon basil vinaigrette or a citrus salad with mint, honey, and lime. I love this easy arugula salad with its simple lemon vinaigrette. A warm crusty bread is perfect, too, like homemade Dutch oven bread (no knead!) or easy chive bread, an alternative to plain garlic bread. (I’m not knocking garlic bread! Who doesn’t love crispy buttery garlic bread?!).
Recipe Variations
- Sub in dark meat. Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for the chicken breasts if you prefer dark meat.
- Try a different type of pasta. Use your favorite kind or what you happen to have. Keep in mind that the cooking time will depend on which type of pasta you choose. Refer to the package.
- Change the vegetable. If you’re not a fan of spinach, stir in frozen green peas or lightly blanched chopped asparagus or broccoli. If you like mushrooms, sauté an 8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms with the onions.
- Rather have a casserole? Try this baked spaghetti with spinach. The recipe is written as a vegetarian entrée but it would be easy to add cooked chicken if you wanted.
Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to three days. Because of the creamy sauce which tends to separate when frozen, I wouldn’t advise freezing this pasta.
Reheat: To reheat, gently warm the pasta on the stove in a skillet or saucepan. If pasta seems dry, add a splash of cream or milk. Try not to overheat the sauce. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes (see note 1)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ cup diced onion (1 small onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 cups chicken broth, more as needed (see note 2)
- 8 ounces uncooked dry pasta (see note 3)
- 5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature (see note 4)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note 5)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, additional for garnishing
Instructions
- If you haven't done it already, measure out 1 cup of heavy cream and leave it out of the refrigerator to warm up while you prep the recipe.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet (with lid available) over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, transferring it to a clean plate, and set aside. Discard any accumulated juices.1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- In the same pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; add the diced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.½ cup diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- Add the chicken broth to the pan. Stir in the uncooked pasta and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium.3 cups chicken broth, more as needed, 8 ounces uncooked dry pasta
- Cover the skillet and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender. Add more broth or water as needed, but the majority of the liquid should be absorbed by the time the pasta has finished cooking.
- Once the pasta is cooked, add spinach. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- Reduce heat to medium low, and slowly stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese. Return the chicken to the pan, and sprinkle in lemon zest.1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Simmer over low heat until sauce has thickened slightly (don’t boil), stirring frequently. Stir in parsley.1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, additional for garnishing
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if needed. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and additional Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Chicken: I make this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use boneless skinless thighs.
- Broth: Use low sodium or no-salt-added chicken broth, or homemade broth. The nutrition information is calculated using regular chicken broth.
- Pasta: Any dry pasta will work; my preference is penne or rotini. The medium-sized pasta holds the sauce well and is easier to eat than linguine or spaghetti.
- Heavy cream: For best results, take the cream out of the refrigerator when you begin cooking the meal so it has a chance to warm up. Heavy cream may be labeled as heavy whipping cream.
- Lemon zest: Use a zester or fine grater to zest a lemon. Coarse zest won’t work as well in this recipe because it will be too noticeable.
- Possible variations: Instead of spinach, you could stir in frozen peas, lightly cooked asparagus or broccoli, or sautéed mushrooms (sauté them with the onions).
- Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this creamy pasta. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave at 50% power, just until warmed through. Larger amounts can be reheated in a skillet. Add a splash of cream, milk, or water if pasta seems dry.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Great recipes
Thanks so much, Marie!
looks delicious