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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 85 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! Iโ€™m Natasha.

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4.98 from 85 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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260 Comments

  1. Angeline says:

    loved this recipe!

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so glad!

  2. Ian knott says:

    5 stars
    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 โค๏ธ

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m thrilled to hear that, Ian!! Thank you!

  3. Erik says:

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe. Pasta was light with lots of flavor and was very quick to make. Will be including this in our monthly eating plan.

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Glad it was a hit, Erik!

  4. Ladonna Clatworthy says:

    Wow absolutely delicious ๐Ÿ˜‹ made it with leftover chicken from last night’s roasted bird, also added white wine . Thank you for this time saver.

    1. Natasha says:

      You’re very welcome!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  5. Robyn Preston says:

    5 stars
    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 Iโ€™ve ever had and Iโ€™m not a pasta fan 10/10

    1. Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says:

      Wow! Thanks so much for your kind review, Robyn! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Danielle Graham says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Natasha says:

      Excellent!! Thanks for your review, Danielle!

  7. Holly Young says:

    A new family favorite. My son, who literally eats ZERO vegetables, even loves this. HALLELUJAH!

    1. Natasha says:

      Well that’s awesome to hear!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  8. Theresa Youngblood says:

    5 stars
    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)
    Sureโ€™ nuff, the pasta absorbed lots of โ€œjuiceโ€, but was perfect for dinner.
    I will pass this recipe on to friends! Keep on cooking! Iโ€™m . 86 yo & still LUV to cook & try new recipes. Thanks ๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so glad you liked it!! ๐Ÿ™‚ You’re very welcome!

  9. Aart de Jong says:

    Our picky grand kids went for seconds so yes; a keeper!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful!! Thank you! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Carole Popik says:

    Can this be frozen? Before or after baking?

    1. Natasha says:

      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.