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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.

creamy tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl

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
ingredients for tomato spinach chicken pasta in prep bowls and measuring cups

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.

pan frying chicken in a skillet and then making a tomato cream sauce

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.

adding chicken and spinach to a skillet with tomato sauce, then tossing with pasta

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

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

creamy tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl
4.84 from 48 votes

Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

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

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

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.

© 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.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

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4.84 from 48 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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135 Comments

  1. Todd says:

    5 stars
    Delicious. We also added mushrooms to ours for an earthy tone. Loved it.

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful!! So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂

      1. Mo says:

        5 stars
        Could I substitute the spinach for basil or would that be overpowering? Also wondering if anyone has tried half and half – I know there’s a risk of curdling but I have a lot of leftover in my fridge I won’t use for anything else!

        1. Natasha says:

          Hi! You could definitely add in some basil, but I wouldn’t add the full spinach quantity as that probably would be overpowering.

  2. Kiley Baile says:

    5 stars
    This dish is AMAZING! My kids ask for it at least once a week. Delicious!

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s great to hear!! Thanks for letting me know!

  3. Molly Shackelford in Va says:

    5 stars
    I had a single, lonely yellow squash in my fridge that I couldn’t decide what I wanted to use it in…guess what? Deslish! Your recipe is amazing and allows for little tweaks and I love that so much! I sautéed the squash with the garlic and it was incredible! Thanks so much for this recipe!

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s great!! I love that idea. 🙂

  4. Emily says:

    5 stars
    delicious!!! Such an easy and exquisite recipe! My whole family loved it 🙂

    1. Natasha says:

      Fantastic! Thank you!!

  5. Simran Rao says:

    5 stars
    So excited to try something like this with so much flavour! Mouth watering just looking at the recipe! ❤️

    1. Natasha says:

      Enjoy!! 🙂

  6. Dina says:

    5 stars
    Great flavor, I loved this meal, I added extra spinach. I could eat this every night!

    1. Natasha says:

      So happy to hear that! 🙂 I’m big on extra spinach myself… just had half a box of it in my lunch today haha.

  7. Allie Smith says:

    This turned out SO delicious. Perfect cozy Sunday night meal. Will be making this again!

    1. Natasha says:

      Great! Thank you! 😀

  8. Kristin Oliveri says:

    5 stars
    Such an amazing dish ! Really full of flavor and so easy to make . I highly recommend trying it and you’ll see for yourself how delicious it was ! Felt like restaurant quality flavors . Will be my new go to dish for sure !

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so happy to hear that!! 😀

  9. Roberta Forney says:

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time and it was quite simple and tasty.

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so happy to hear that, Roberta! Thanks for commenting! 🙂

  10. Anna says:

    For a short cut, could I use jarred marinara sauce like Rao’s tomato basil pasta sauce?

    1. Natasha says:

      Sure!