Description
This Creamy Spinach and Chicken Pasta features tender chicken and fresh spinach in a luxurious, velvety cream sauce with garlic and Parmesan. Restaurant-quality comfort food ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4-5 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
- 12 oz pasta (penne, fettuccine, or your favorite shape)
- 1 to 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ to ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional but recommended)
Optional Add-ins:
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- Lemon zest and juice for brightness
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes). Before draining, reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water – this liquid gold adjusts sauce consistency perfectly! Drain pasta and set aside.
- Prep the chicken: Pat chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels (crucial for proper browning!). Season generously with salt, pepper, and half the Italian seasoning on all sides.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter melts and stops foaming, add chicken pieces in a single layer (don’t overcrowd – work in batches if necessary). Cook for 4-5 minutes without moving, allowing golden-brown crust to form. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes until cooked through (165°F internal temperature). The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked since it continues cooking with the sauce. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté the garlic: In the same skillet (don’t wipe it clean – those browned bits are flavor!), add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and softened but not browned (burnt garlic is bitter). Your kitchen will smell incredible!
- Deglaze (optional): If using wine, pour it in now and scrape the bottom of the pan vigorously with your wooden spoon, releasing all those delicious browned bits. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until reduced by half and alcohol smell dissipates.
- Create the cream sauce: Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream and remaining Italian seasoning. Let the sauce gently simmer (don’t boil vigorously or it may separate) for 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly. Add optional nutmeg now if using.
- Add spinach: Add fresh spinach to the sauce in batches (it will seem like too much but it wilts dramatically!). Stir gently as the spinach wilts into the sauce, which takes just 2-3 minutes. The vibrant green color is gorgeous! If using sun-dried tomatoes, add them now.
- Add cheese: Remove from heat and stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese, whisking until smooth and melted. The residual heat melts the cheese perfectly without making it stringy. Taste and adjust seasonings – add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as desired.
- Combine everything: Return cooked chicken (with any accumulated juices) to the skillet. Add drained pasta and toss everything together gently but thoroughly, ensuring every piece of pasta is coated in that luscious sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach desired consistency. The starchy water helps sauce cling to pasta beautifully!
- Finish and serve: Let everything simmer together for 1-2 minutes so flavors meld and pasta absorbs some sauce. Stir in optional fresh basil and lemon zest/juice if using. Taste one final time and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately in warm bowls or on plates, topped with extra Parmesan cheese, fresh cracked black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy while hot and creamy!
Notes
- Don’t skip pasta water: That starchy water is essential for adjusting sauce consistency and helping it cling to pasta
- Fresh Parmesan is crucial: Pre-grated cheese won’t melt smoothly and contains anti-caking agents
- Pat chicken dry: Moisture prevents proper browning – dry chicken = golden crust
- Gentle heat with cream: Once cream is added, keep heat medium-low to prevent separation
- Spinach volume: 5 cups fresh spinach seems like a lot but wilts to about 1 cup
- Frozen spinach alternative: Use 10 oz frozen, thawed, and squeezed completely dry
- Make it lighter: Use half-and-half instead of cream, reduce butter, add more vegetables
- Wine substitute: Use additional broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Gluten-free: Simply use gluten-free pasta and verify broth is GF
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approximately 1½ cups)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 65
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 115