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This tomato spinach chicken pasta recipe is delicious with tender pan-fried chicken nestled in a creamy tomato spinach sauce. It’s quick and easy for busy weeknights!

creamy tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl

This dish is perfect for when you want something delicious and comforting but also fairly healthy. 

I use both tomato paste and tomato sauce in this recipe so the creamy tomato sauce shines and the tomato flavor really pops!

How to make chicken spinach tomato pasta (overview):

For this recipe, you start by pan-frying the chicken in a skillet. Cook it for about 5-6 minutes/side or until it’s cooked through and golden. You then take it out of the pan and make the sauce. While the sauce is simmering, you cut the chicken into strips. The dish is then finished by adding some fresh spinach and the chicken to the sauce, letting it warm through, and tossing it with the pasta. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

skillet with seared chicken breast

Recipe notes & tips:

  • It can sometimes be hard to tell when chicken is done, and in a recipe like this, chicken can go from underdone to overdone very quickly. I use an instant read thermometer to easily tell when chicken is done. Chicken is safe to eat at 165F (keep in mind that the temperature will rise for a bit even after you stop cooking it). 
  • Can I sub the cream for something else? There’s a good chance that the acidity of the tomatoes will curdle the sauce if you use something with a lower fat content than heavy cream, so I recommend sticking with it if you do give this recipe a try.
  • Use whatever shape of pasta you prefer/you’ve got on hand. 

skillet with chicken tomato spinach pasta sauce

More tasty recipes to try:

tomato spinach chicken pasta in a pot with cooked penne (ready to be tossed with pasta)

Will you give this chicken spinach tomato pasta try? Questions about this recipe? Give me a shout in the comments below! 

creamy tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl
4.80 from 30 votes

Tomato Chicken Spinach Pasta

By Natasha Bull
This tomato spinach chicken pasta recipe is delicious with tender pan-fried chicken nestled in a creamy tomato spinach sauce. It's quick and easy for busy weeknights!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, to taste

Instructions 

  • Boil a large, salted pot of water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package instructions.
  • Meanwhile, cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you've got 4 thinner pieces. Season both sides of each piece with the garlic powder and salt & pepper.
  • Add the butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes, then cook the chicken for about 5 minutes/side or until it's cooked through, then transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream, and Italian seasoning. Stir until it's nice and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the sauce cook for about 3-5 minutes (let it gently bubble and it will thicken up a bit).
  • Meanwhile, cut the chicken up into strips.
  • Season the sauce with some salt & pepper, then add in the chicken and spinach and let it warm through for a minute or two.
  • If the sauce gets too thick, add in a splash of the hot pasta water prior to draining it. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce (I add the pasta back to the pot it was cooked in and then pour the skillet contents into the pot). Serve immediately with parmesan cheese over top.

Notes

  • I don't recommend subbing the cream for something else like half-and-half because the tomatoes are likely to curdle the sauce.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 589kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 772mg, Potassium: 1083mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 2736IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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99 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Added Calabrian chilis as we like spice. Really good and a great refrigerator clean out meal. Use what you have! We used grape tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Yum.

    Reply

    1. Hi! For tomato sauce, passata should work. Tomato paste should be the same I think? I haven’t heard of it being different in the UK.

      Reply

      1. Yes, I used passata for the tomato sauce and it worked fine. For the tomato paste I used tomato purée. 😋

        Reply

  5. 2 stars
    Sorry but this was not good. The sauce tasted like cheap bottled Ragu. Not Natasha’s fault, just not my taste at all. Will not make again.

    Reply