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This creamy chicken spinach pasta recipe is a total comfort food dinner! It comes together quickly and can be on your table in about 30 minutes but feels special.
You may also like my Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta or my Easy Creamed Spinach next.
Why you’ll love it
This spinach chicken pasta is great for busy weeknights since it’s pretty hassle free to throw together. The golden pan-fried chicken melts in your mouth, and spinach adds a pop of freshness. Many lovely readers have shared how their picky eaters devoured it!
To keep the creamy pasta sauce from being one-dimensional, a kiss of lemon juice and Dijon mustard add a little je ne sais quoi to the meal. I love adding Dijon to various recipes. It’s one of my favorite cooking tricks to give that extra something-something for flavor.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I use penne, but any similar size pasta will work
- Chicken breasts – it’s cut up into tender bite-sized pieces
- Flour – for getting an irresistible crust on the chicken
- Butter and olive oil – for pan frying
- Garlic – more savory flavor
- Chicken broth – or use a dry white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc) for an elegant variation
- Lemon juice and Dijon mustard – this duo is the ultimate flavor enhancer
- Italian seasoning – it’s an all-purpose blend of dried herbs in one jar
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious
- Spinach – for some added greens
- Parmesan – to top it all off. Always grate your own!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Chicken is cooked at 165F. Use an instant read thermometer so it’s perfect every time.
- I store my butter in this butter dish, and it has markings to measure it out easily!
- This is the skillet I use for this pasta.
How to make chicken spinach pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, cut up the chicken, season with salt & pepper, and dredge in flour. Heat up the butter and oil in a skillet. Cook the chicken until golden, then transfer to a plate. Add the garlic, broth, lemon juice, Dijon, and Italian seasoning to the pan.
Let it bubble for a minute, scraping up the browned bits. Return the chicken, and add in the cream and spinach. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked. Toss with the drained pasta, season with extra salt & pepper, and stir in the parmesan.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for anything lower fat. It will change the taste and texture substantially.
- You could use frozen spinach, be sure to thaw it and squeeze the water out really well.
- Adding in some sun-dried tomatoes is a good idea if you’re a fan!
What to serve with chicken spinach pasta
- Round out the meal with a dinner roll or a slice of fresh bread. I like French or sourdough. Or make it a feast with my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- Craving a salad? Spring mix with my Homemade Ranch Dressing, this Easy Italian Dressing, or Honey Mustard Dressing are all great pairings.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover pasta for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat, but keep in mind that it’s best fresh. The spinach will wilt more, and the sauce won’t be as good reheated. You might need to add another splash of cream to revive it.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one.
More easy chicken pasta recipes
If you made this creamy chicken spinach parmesan pasta, please leave a star rating and review below! Questions? Feel free to ask. You can also find me on Instagram.
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
- 1/4 teaspoon 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.
- Meanwhile, 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on May 17, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
loved this recipe!
I’m so glad!
This is the best spinach recipe I have ever tasted, not only that, but my two boys now both love spinach due to the amazing sauce.
Thank you ❤️
I’m thrilled to hear that, Ian!! Thank you!
Delicious recipe. Pasta was light with lots of flavor and was very quick to make. Will be including this in our monthly eating plan.
Thank you!! 😀 Glad it was a hit, Erik!
Wow absolutely delicious 😋 made it with leftover chicken from last night’s roasted bird, also added white wine . Thank you for this time saver.
You’re very welcome!! 😀
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
Wow! Thanks so much for your kind review, Robyn! 🙂
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!
Excellent!! Thanks for your review, Danielle!
A new family favorite. My son, who literally eats ZERO vegetables, even loves this. HALLELUJAH!
Well that’s awesome to hear!! 😀
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 😊
I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 You’re very welcome!
Our picky grand kids went for seconds so yes; a keeper!!
Wonderful!! Thank you! 🙂
Can this be frozen? Before or after baking?
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.