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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!
You may also enjoy my Tomato Spinach White Wine Chicken and Ranch Chicken Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Spinach.
Why you’ll love it
This 30-minute dish is perfect for when you want something tasty and comforting but also not heavy. I enjoy making it when I have late-night pasta cravings, too! You’ll also like how this tomato pasta with chicken is one of those recipes that tastes fancier than it is.
I use both tomato paste and tomato sauce in this recipe so that the creamy tomato sauce shines and the tomato flavor really pops. It comes out silky and goes so well with the strips of juicy chicken and fresh spinach. One kind reader said it’s “literally the best pasta sauce”!
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like how the sauce coats penne
- Chicken – we’re pan-frying chicken breasts
- Garlic powder – in addition to salt & pepper, this infuses flavor right into the chicken cutlets
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Garlic – pasta sauce always benefits from plenty of garlic!
- Tomatoes – we’re using two pantry staples, tomato paste and tomato sauce (passata for my UK readers)
- Heavy cream – a hint to make the sauce luxurious
- Italian seasoning – my favorite blend of dried herbs that comes in a single jar
- Spinach – for a pop of freshness
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- 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).
- I like using this Le Creuset skillet for this recipe.
How to make chicken spinach tomato pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta al dente. Meanwhile, cut the chicken to make four thinner cutlets. Season with garlic powder and salt & pepper. In a skillet, heat up the butter and oil, then pan-fry the chicken until cooked through and transfer to a plate. Stir in the garlic, then add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream, and Italian seasoning.
Stir until smooth, then let the sauce simmer and thicken. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into strips. Season the sauce with salt & pepper, and return the chicken to the skillet. Add in the spinach. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce, and top with freshly grated parm if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- Use whatever shape of pasta you prefer/you’ve got on hand.
- 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.
- For a little kick, readers have added in crushed red pepper flakes or even Calabrian chilies.
What to serve with tomato chicken pasta
- All it needs is a slice of fresh crusty bread or a dinner roll to round it out! Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea, too.
- For a salad, try spring mix with my Homemade Italian Dressing, or make a Caesar salad with my ridiculously good Easy Caesar Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this pasta in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this pasta.
If you gave this chicken spinach tomato pasta try, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 chicken breasts
- 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 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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SO amazing!! whole family absolutely loved it, and it didn’t take long at all! the sauce is creamy and filling, perfect for the tender juicy chicken. i would make this again!!
So happy it’s a new fave, Cristin! Thank you.
Worked great and was to make. I substituted tomato sauce and tomato paste for an organic jar sauce and it was still tasty.
Great to hear, Antonia!
This was a delicious recipe! I did season the chicken with a spice mix I make myself, as I like spicier things, and I used dehydrated milk since we didn’t have quite enough heavy cream. It worked great! I jazzed up the sauce more, too, by using halved constellation tomatoes instead of just tomato paste. Adds a very nice freshness to the dish! Very easily a one pot dish if you don’t mind needing to work the sauce into the noodles patiently once they’ve dried!
Thanks, Alana!
Easy to make and delicious
Thank you!
One of my my very favorite dishes, and quite possibly the easiest bistro recipe cover to duplicate and perfect in any kitchen environment, either professional or not.
I first ran it as a ‘special’ in my restaurant, served with garlic cheese toast. It was an instant hit with my patrons. The highly positive feedback secured this dish a permanent position on my dinner menu. It is deliciously satisfying.
I first tried it as a culinary student in Avignon, France many, many years ago, although we did not use Tomato Sauce in the recipe it is an outstanding meal.
Try it with a glass of full-bodied Merlot.
I plan on making this tonight. However, I have some leftover spaghetti sauce that I would like to substitute in for the tomatoes and tomato paste. What do you think of that?
I think you could try that, Mike. Let me know how it goes!
Quick, easy, delicious! Kids loved it.
Fantastic! Thank you!
Very simple, midweek after work delicious dinner! Thank you
You’re welcome!
Hey it’s Lily and Orla , our kids absolutely loved this . Especially Darren 🥰
THANK YOU NATASHA FOR BLESSING US WITH THIS WONDERFUL MEAL😫🤭
Hi Lily and Orla!! 😀 I’m thrilled you all enjoyed it! Thank you!
Wonderful!!
The family loved this… Very easy to make, had everything in the fridge already, and the kids declared it their new favourite. Will definitely make again!!
Excellent!! 😀