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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.
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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!
Very easy, and absolutely delicious!
So happy you liked it, Helen!
I made this last week and it is already requested to make tonight. Delicious.
Thanks.
Yay!! That’s great. Thanks for letting me know!
Incredible. We used blackened shrimp instead of the chicken and it’s some of the best pasta we’ve eaten.
That sounds delicious!! Love blackened shrimp!
What do you mean by ‘Italian seasoning?
Is it a jarred ingredient? Substitute with?
Italian seasoning is a common herb blend. It’s used in a lot of recipes as an easy way to not have to measure out a whole bunch of different herbs. You can buy it at most grocery stores in the herbs/spice section. A quick Google search tells me it has these herbs, but it does vary brand to brand: basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, sage, or coriander. I buy McCormick brand. If you don’t want to buy it, I recommend adding a small pinch of your favorite dried herbs.
This turned out really good! Would definitely make this again!
Great!! I am happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment, Diane.
Tried this dish for the first time. Absolutely lovely and creamy and very easy to make. Will definitely make it again. Thanks
I’m so glad to hear that!
Good day.. what are the calories per serving for this meal
Very good, simple. Husband even remarked it was tasty.
That’s what I like to hear! 🙂
Made this for the first time tonight. A winner!
The only change I made was to sub white wine for the lemon juice. I love that this meal is made from items already on hand!
Next time I will add a minced shallot with the garlic. I think the Dijon mustard is a must have for this dish. Glad that I have leftovers for another dinner during the week. Cook once-eat twice.
This one is going into my rotation. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂 You’re very welcome.
I tried reading others comments, I am not a fan of Dijon mustard can I skip or use yellow mustard. I’ve used one other of your recipe, and was right on point. One comment did say honey mustard but I’ve never had that either.
Hi! Sure, you could definitely try replacing the mustard, or even leave it out altogether. I use Dijon in sauces to bring out some of the other flavors (it doesn’t taste mustardy), but if you don’t have any, that’s totally fine. 🙂
Yummy! I had typed in ‘chicken spinach pasta’ (that’s the main ingredients I had on-hand) in my search engine and your recipe was one that showed up with great reviews. I actually had everything here at home and didn’t need to leave to make it!! I was so pleased with how easy this was to follow. Glad I didn’t use a non-stick pan. All those bits were wonderful and a little crunchy! I was going to add some bacon and totally spaced it 🤦🏼♀️ But the result was great. We have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. My two year old loved it also!! I’m posting photos and the recipe on my FB page. Thanks again for sharing! Would love to find some more of your time/family friendly recipes!
Awesome!! I’m so glad you found me. 🙂 Yup, the whole blog is filled with easy recipes, so let me know if you make any more! XO