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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.

a bowl of creamy chicken spinach pasta

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!
ingredients for creamy chicken spinach pasta in prep bowls

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.

pan frying chicken in a skillet and making sauce for pasta

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.

adding in spinach and parmesan to a skillet with creamy chicken spinach pasta

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

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.
closeup of a skillet with creamy chicken spinach pasta

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.

a bowl of creamy chicken spinach pasta
4.98 from 84 votes

Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta

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.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Calories: 665kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 158mg, Sodium: 500mg, Potassium: 842mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 4430IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 212mg, Iron: 2mg

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.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

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!


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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4.98 from 84 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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258 Comments

  1. neasa says:

    5 stars
    so amazing simple and delicous , would really recomend. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re very welcome! XO

  2. Orla says:

    5 stars
    Forgot to rate..

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you! XO

  3. Orla says:

    I just made this and all I can say is WOW! This must be one of the nicest things I’ve ever made, restaurant quality! The only thing I didn’t like was the texture from the flour on the chicken, it was gloopy (I used gluten free maybe that was why), I must try thickening the sauce with the flour instead of coating the chicken. But absolutely fabulous, 110%!

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so glad you liked it, Orla! Hmm yeah maybe the gluten-free flour could’ve done it – I confess I just use regular all-purpose flour and haven’t tested gluten-free flour at all in any recipe that I can recall. You could also try browning the chicken for a little longer (with the flour coating it).

    2. Gail says:

      5 stars
      Made this for the family tonight for the first time I did tweek it a bit adding slightly more dijon and lemon juice however everyone cleaned their bowls… Utterly delicious.. Give it a try

      1. Natasha says:

        So glad you liked it!

  4. Teri says:

    5 stars
    I made this gluten free by using almond + tapioca flour for the chicken and gluten free penne. It turned out fantastic! Delicious recipe.

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so glad you liked it!! Thanks for letting me know! 😀

  5. Brooke says:

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m far from a good cook but this puppy made me look it yeey :p
    Super easy & incredibly delicious, my kinda recipe!

    I think i might add some sneaky bacon next time just because… bacon.

    Thanks again for making me look good hehe

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re very welcome!! Haha I am so glad you found it easy to make!! 🙂

  6. Stephanie says:

    What is your favorite Italian seasoning brand?

    1. Natasha says:

      McCormick ☺️

  7. Esmeralda says:

    5 stars
    Made this after years of buying premade sauce and ending disappointed. Literally tasted better than Olive Garden, I’m making this sauce from now on OMG

    1. Natasha says:

      Aww that’s awesome!! Thanks for letting me know!

  8. Leonora Gonzales says:

    5 stars
    I just made this tonight and my whole family loved it! My twin boys are usually so picky with what I make and they ate every single bite off their plate! My hubby said that this recipe is a keeper! Thank you!

    1. Natasha says:

      So pleased to hear it! 🙂

  9. Richard Cockbain says:

    5 stars
    I decided to play around a bit and added small slices of Sun Dried Tomato and fried onion pieces.
    PERFECT!

    1. Natasha says:

      Good idea!! Yum!!

  10. Fawn says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy and delicious. My young children even really liked it. I am always looking for ways to incorporate (hide) veggies that they would normally avoid.

    1. Natasha says:

      I am so happy to hear that, Fawn!! 🙂