This creamy chicken spinach pasta recipe is a total comfort food dinner! It comes together quickly - it can be on your table in about 30 minutes.
This spinach chicken pasta is great for busy weeknights. The chicken melts in your mouth, and the spinach adds some freshness to a dish that's otherwise fairly rich.
You may also like my chicken bacon spinach pasta recipe - it's quite similar. Or my easy creamed spinach!
The little bit of lemon juice and Dijon mustard add some extra "je ne sais quoi" to the recipe. It's kinda hard to describe, but I love adding a little bit of Dijon to various recipes to give them that extra something-something. It's one of my favorite cooking tricks, and if you've made some of my recipes already, you're probably encountered my love for Dijon. 🙂
How to make chicken spinach garlic pasta
- Boil your pasta water (you can use any shape you wish);
- Prep your chicken. Cut it up, season it, and coat it in flour;
- Cook the chicken in the butter and oil until it's no longer pink on the outside, then take it out of the pan;
- Start the sauce. Add the garlic, chicken broth, lemon juice, Dijon, and Italian seasoning to the pan;
- Finish cooking the chicken. Add the chicken, spinach, and cream to the pan and cook it until the chicken's done;
- Almost done! Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Stir in the parmesan. Enjoy!
Other creamy chicken pasta recipes: creamy chicken pesto pasta, this creamy balsamic chicken bacon mushroom pasta, my creamy Tuscan chicken pasta.
Hope you will enjoy this creamy chicken spinach parmesan pasta!
Questions? Ask me in the comments below.
Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour, for dredging
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package instructions.
- Cut up the chicken and season it with salt & pepper. Coat the pieces with flour.
- Add the butter and oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan's hot, add the chicken and cook it until it's no longer pink on the outside. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the garlic, chicken broth, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Italian seasoning. Return the pan to the heat and let it bubble for a minute or so. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken, cream, and spinach to the pan. Let it cook for around 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. You may want to reduce the heat if it's bubbling a lot or if the sauce is thickening too fast.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Stir in the parmesan. Season with more salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- I've made this without the parmesan cheese before, and it will still taste good if you want to leave it out for whatever reason.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Ladonna Clatworthy says
Wow absolutely delicious 😋 made it with leftover chicken from last night's roasted bird, also added white wine . Thank you for this time saver.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 😀
Robyn Preston says
I made this recipe because I had a lot of spinach that was going to go bad and it turned out to be the best pasta recipe I’ve ever had and I’m not a pasta fan 10/10
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Wow! Thanks so much for your kind review, Robyn! 🙂
Danielle Graham says
Was looking for a chicken and spinach pasta recipe and this one was a winner! I had some leftover rotisserie chicken so I subbed that and added it to the sauce. I also subbed white wine for the chicken broth. It came out so good and was so quick and easy!
Natasha says
Excellent!! Thanks for your review, Danielle!
Holly Young says
A new family favorite. My son, who literally eats ZERO vegetables, even loves this. HALLELUJAH!
Natasha says
Well that's awesome to hear!! 😀
Theresa Youngblood says
I made this today,reduced the penne to 6 oz. Followed directions as written with one exception, As pasta absorbs liquids, I increased the chicken broth to 2 cups. ( I made early in the day for a later meal)
Sure’ nuff, the pasta absorbed lots of “juice”, but was perfect for dinner.
I will pass this recipe on to friends! Keep on cooking! I’m . 86 yo & still LUV to cook & try new recipes. Thanks 😊
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it!! 🙂 You're very welcome!
Aart de Jong says
Our picky grand kids went for seconds so yes; a keeper!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thank you! 🙂
Carole Popik says
Can this be frozen? Before or after baking?
Natasha says
For something like this I don't recommend freezing. Cream sauces don't tend to freeze/thaw too well, and chicken can dry out. If you happen to have leftovers, you could try freezing some and see if you're ok with the results, though.
Rose says
Made this a few different times and turned out amazing everytime
Natasha says
That's great to hear, Rose! 🙂
Audrey H. says
My granddaughter is staying with us for the week. We cooked this together and she said "it's soooo good!" She went for seconds 🙂 Thanks for the quick dinner idea! It was a hit!
Natasha says
Aww that makes me so happy!! 🙂
Paris says
It turned out really good! I was missing lemon juice but I had everything else and it came out perfectly. Thank you so much for the quick dinner idea!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Paris! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Susan Stunes says
So delicious!! I definitely will make this often!!
Natasha says
That's great to hear!!
Deidre W. says
I didn’t have everything on hand, but I made due with what I did have. This was a quick and delicious meal!!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So glad it worked out, Deidre!! 🙂
Kate Cassar says
This was delish!! I didn't have cream so I used plain yoghurt instead and it worked well. I will definitely be making this again. I doubled the recipe as I have three hungry males in the house!! Thank you 🙂
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Kate! Glad it was a crowd-pleaser!
Suzette Van Aken says
This was fast, simple and delicious. I divided the recipe as I’m cooking for one, but this is definitely a dish to be shared. Thank you. I’ll check out your website for more offerings.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Suzette! We're happy you found S&L 🙂
Caroline R Young says
This was a good recipe, although I needed to tweak it a little. As written, it was just a little on the bland side for me. I used a whole teaspoon of the dijon mustard, added basil and red pepper flakes, and used only half of the parmesan. For those who said they don't like dijon mustard and omitted it: the mustard really enhances this recipe. It cuts through the richness of the sauce and brightens the flavors of the other ingredients. It is not discernible in the final dish. Do not substitute yellow mustard or honey mustard - it's a totally different flavor profile from dijon, and will detract from the flavors. Also, I tasted the sauce before adding the parmesan at the end, and it was delicious even without the cheese. Next time I make this, I will just use the parmesan as an optional sprinkle when serving, instead of cooking it into the dish.
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your detailed review!
Juanita says
Not to be a recipe hack, but I added sliced cherry tomatoes for that visual and taste surprise. Excellent! Thanks for sharing…
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Sounds good to me!! Really happy you enjoyed the recipe, Juanita 🙂
Toni Mason says
You are right! That little bit of Dijon and lemon juice makes it.
Natasha says
🙂
Deb says
Do you just pour the cream in or do you have to whip it?
Natasha says
You just pour the cream right in. I would definitely specify if you had to do that - don't worry! 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Jules says
This is fabulous! Of course, I dumped most of a container of parm in at the end instead of measuring. 🙂 Delicious!!
Natasha says
Hahaha nothing wrong with that!! 😀
Mikki says
This was delicious and super easy to make!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that, Mikki! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Alex Whitlow says
So good! Super easy and quick. Cannot wait to make it again!
Subbed the heavy cream for goat cheese and almond milk, Romano cheese for Parmesan, used chickpea pasta noodles, and didn't bread the chicken to accommodate for GF and DF and was amazed at how good it was!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you were able to tweak it and it worked out, Alex!
Ligita Heydenreich says
Delish dish !!! Fast , easy and delishious 🙂
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Wonderful to hear, Ligita!!
Numz says
Recipe was excellent the first time I made it. However, after I added milk to the stock, the sauce began to curdle a bit. Would you happen to know why this would happen ?
Natasha says
Hi! Milk curdles when it's cooked at a high temperature. I'm guessing that's why? That's one of the reasons why I use heavy cream in recipes like this one (I rarely use milk for sauces unless I'm making a roux).
Jason B. says
Just made this dish and it turned out great! Recipe read well. Easy prep. Taste awesome thank you
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! Glad you enjoyed it.
Ariana Zeeman says
Absolutely delicious! Only took about 30 minutes like the recipe said and turned out amazing! Definitely a new favorite for me
Natasha says
Yay!! So glad to hear it. Thanks for letting me know!
Judith Jackson says
Could you use sour cream,
Natasha says
I don't think it'll work out quite the same, and it'll be more tangy. I guess you could experiment, but sour cream can curdle quite easily if it boils.
Gillian Meldrum says
Delicious replaced the chicken broth with white wine
Natasha says
So glad you liked it, Gillian! Thanks for writing me a review. 😀
Mary Osborne says
Can this dish be frozen and if so, does it need to be thawed before heating in a microwave?
Natasha says
Hi Mary! I don't typically recommend freezing creamy sauces. The texture usually won't be the same when thawed. Yes, you'd want to thaw it first if you want to microwave it. Personally, I'd skip the microwave and put it in a saucepan over LOW heat and slowly re-warm it to help prevent the sauce from separating. If it does separate, add a splash more cream to see if that will salvage the sauce.
Stephanie says
This is a huge hit at my house. Even my picky ASD kid loves it. I do sub stone ground mustard because it’s what we always have in hand and it’s perfect. It’s in our regular rotation and I’ve made it several times. Thanks.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so glad that it's a new favorite for you guys! 🙂
Donna says
Delish!!!
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Talia says
My favorite pasta dish to make 🙂 it turns out perfect every time and I actually don't add any mustard but it's great either way. Super easy and yummy.
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that, Talia!
Niks says
A really yummy recipe. I make pasta a lot and this is a nice change from regular pasta dishes.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it, Niks!!!
Natalie says
Way better with parm but needed some salt. Family loved it.
Natasha says
Hi! Yes, of course... I never make a recipe without adding salt. Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Brooklyn says
Delicious! Has to be one of the best pasta dishes I’ve made.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Tereza says
I have made this recipe for about 20-30 times already! And I don't even have to look at the ingredients anymore, I just know. That's how much I love it. 😍🥰
Natasha says
Aww that makes me so happy!! Thanks for letting me know, Tereza!
Woxy says
This recipe was delicious. Probably one of the best pastas I've ever had.
Thank you!
Natasha says
That makes me happy! Thank you! 😀
Jadin says
Do you know the nutrition facts of this recipe? How many calories each serving size is?
Natasha says
Hi! I just added it for you. Please keep in mind that it's only an estimate... like I guessed it would be 2 tablespoons of flour used, and the size of chicken breasts can vary, and so on. Nutrition info is for 1/4 of the recipe. If you're requiring it for health reasons, I strongly advise you to weigh out the actual ingredients you're using, but this will give you a ballpark figure. Hope it helps! 🙂