Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta - Super easy and delicious chicken pasta recipe made with spinach tossed in a creamy ricotta sauce. This pasta is the ultimate easy dinner recipe perfect for the whole family.
If you are looking for a new chicken pasta recipe to try, this is it! Not only is my Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta super easy to make, but it's absolutely delicious. This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
This pasta serves about 4 people giving each person a generous portion. You can easily store leftovers completely cooled in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients you need to make creamy chicken pasta:
Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
Short Cut Pasta- I used a half pound of penne pasta but you can use any short cut pasta.
Butter - Salted or unsalted butter both work great.
Oil - Olive or avocado is recommended but you can use your favorite cooking oil.
Spinach - You'll need about 2 cups of fresh chopped spinach with stems removed. You can also use kale as a substitution.
Ricotta - I used full fat ricotta cheese in this recipe but have also used low fat ricotta and it works fine.
Onion - Yellow, white, or sweet onion will work great.
Garlic - Fresh garlic is highly recommended in this recipe. If you don't have fresh on hand, use 1 teaspoon garlic powder in substitution.
Heavy Cream - Or heavy whipping cream. This will give you a nice rich creamy sauce. You may also use half and half as a substitution.
Milk - I used whole milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.
Parmesan Cheese - Fresh grated parmesan is best.
Seasonings - Salt + Black Pepper + Parsley + Basil + Paprika
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
- Large Skillet + Large Saucepan – To boil your pasta and for cooking chicken/pasta sauce.
- Measuring Cups + Spoons – To properly measure all of your ingredients.
- Cutting Board + Chef Knife – For prepping the veggies and chicken.
How to make Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta:
Add cut chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika. Toss to combine.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package instructions for al dente. When done, drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add seasoned chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. When nice and golden, transfer chicken to a plate.
Add diced onion and butter to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute.
Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring until fully incorporated. Bring to a low simmer. Stir in ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Pour in milk and stir to combine.
Add cooked chicken to the sauce along with the chopped spinach and stir to combine. Add cooked penne pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with dried basil and parsley. Remove pasta from heat and let sit a few minutes.
When done, stir pasta again to fully coat in sauce and serve. Enjoy!
Sides to serve with pasta:
Simple Caesar Salad - My quick and easy caesar salad is made with homemade dressing, crunchy romaine, croutons and freshly shaved parmesan cheese.
Easy Homemade Garlic Bread - Classic garlic bread recipe with one secret ingredient that places this garlic bread above the rest.
Texas Toast Garlic Bread - Warm, buttery and delicious thick cut garlic bread toasted to golden perfection.
Most popular chicken pasta recipes:
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Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ lb Penne Pasta or other short cut pasta
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts or Thighs cut into 1" strips
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or similar
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 cup Spinach, chopped stems removed
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¾ cup Yellow/White Onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Basil dried
- ½ teaspoon Parsley dried
Instructions
- Add cut chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika. Toss to combine.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package instructions for al dente. When done, drain and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add seasoned chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked through. When nice and golden, transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add diced onion and butter to the same skillet you cooked the chicken in over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring until fully incorporated. Bring to a low simmer. Stir in ricotta and parmesan cheese. Pour in milk and stir to combine.
- Add cooked chicken to the sauce along with the chopped spinach and stir to combine. Add cooked penne pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle with dried basil and parsley. Remove pasta from heat and let sit a few minutes.
- When done, stir pasta again to fully coat in sauce and serve. Enjoy!
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