This Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta is a delicious dinner idea! It has an easy parmesan cream sauce made with simple ingredients.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Bowtie pasta – use any kind of pasta of your choice like fusili, rotini, penne or even spaghetti.
- Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like canola or avocado oil.
- Chicken breast – chicken thighs would also work or you can swap out for another protein option entirely.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic has the best flavor, but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Butter – you could also use a dairy-free substitute.
- Flour – you can leave this out, but the sauce won't be as thick.
- Milk – use any milk of your choice like skim milk or a dairy-free milk of your choice.
- Heavy cream – half and half can be used, but the sauce won't be as creamy.
- Parmesan cheese – nutritional yeast is a great dairy-free substitute.
- Baby spinach – you could also make this pasta with kale for a different flavor.
How to make spinach pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta.
Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain then set aside.
Step 2: Brown the chicken.
Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: Sauté the garlic.
Without wiping the pan clean, melt the butter and sauté the garlic, then stir in the flour.
Step 4: Make the sauce.
Add the milk one cup at a time, then whisk in the cream and parmesan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens.
Step 5: Add everything to the pan.
Add the cooked pasta, chicken and spinach to the skillet with the sauce, and cook until the spinach has wilted.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Spinach pasta tips & variations
- Swap out the pasta: You can use any shape pasta for this recipe like bowtie, fusilli, rigatoni, penne, spaghetti, etc. You can even use a gluten-free option. Just make sure to cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Add more veggies: The spinach is the star of the show in this dish, but you can also add in another veggie like cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms or roasted red peppers.
- Try different protein: Swap out the chicken breast for chicken thighs, leftover cooked or rotisserie chicken, bacon or turkey. For a vegetarian option, leave out the chicken entirely.
- Make it spicy: Add some red pepper flakes to the sauce for a bit of spice.
- Use fresh parmesan: Grating fresh parmesan will give your pasta the best flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no need to pre-cook the spinach before adding it to the pasta. The spinach will wilt in the sauce with the other veggies. If you cook it beforehand, it'll get too soggy.
I haven't tested this recipe using frozen spinach, and you'll need to fully thaw the spinach before adding it to the pasta. I'd also suggest squeezing out any excess liquid (as the spinach will get watery when it defrosts), or it will water down the sauce.
When it comes to serving suggestions, you can't go wrong with the classics like garlic bread, crusty bread or even homemade Olive Garden breadsticks. This pasta would also taste delicious with a light side salad made using homemade dressing or brussels sprouts salad.
You can swap out the heavy cream for half and half or a dairy-free substitute of your choice. The sauce won't be as creamy, so you might need to add a bit more flour so it's still nice and thick.
Storing and reheating
You can store any leftovers of this spinach pasta recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container or glass meal prep bowl. When you're ready to enjoy, reheat the pasta in a skillet on the stovetop or sprinkle some water over top to prevent it from drying out and microwave for 1-2 minutes. Add some fresh parmesan over top and dig in!
Freezing this recipe
I wouldn't recommend freezing this pasta. Cream-based sauces don't freeze well, as the cream will curdle and separate while defrosting.
More easy pasta recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bowtie pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast diced into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 8 cups baby spinach
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat, adding a pinch of salt and bringing to a boil. When boiling, add pasta and cook for 9-10 min until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper and sauteeing for 5 minutes until browned.
- Remove chicken from heat and set aside. Without wiping pan clean, melt butter over med-high heat and saute garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in flour. Add milk 1 cup at a time, whisking to remove lumps, then whisk in cream and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil, then cook for another minute until the sauce thickens.
- Add cooked pasta, chicken and spinach to skillet, cooking another 2 minutes until spinach has wilted. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Tara says
This pasta dish was a hit! ( Even with wagon wheel pasta!)
Katie Didow says
I absolutely loved this pasta!