Are you looking for a quick weeknight meal? This Chicken and Spinach Skillet Pasta is a dish the whole family will love! Plus, it is one pot and comes together in about 30 minutes.
If you are looking for other quick weeknight meals, what about this skillet chicken with black beans and rice? If you are looking for a healthy option, what about cod tacos? Taco tater tot casserole is another family favorite.
What Makes This Recipe Work?
The dish itself is a really great combination of flavors. I love spinach and chicken together, but add in pasta and it is even better. Oregano, basil, and parmesan add to the dish in a good way!
It is simple to make. The pasta takes a little time to cook, but other than that, it actually comes together quickly. Just make sure to cut that chicken in thin strips and it will go very fast.
This is a one-pot meal. I mean, you can use 2, but I show it as a one-pot. I like this for easy clean-up and no stress.
My chicken and spinach pasta make a big batch. This is great if you are feeding a crowd, or if you want to use this for meal prep. This reheats in the microwave really well!
Ingredients
- Pasta- I used rigatoni, but you can use any type of pasta you like.
- Chicken breast- I like to cut them up into really thin strips for quick cooking.
- Olive oil- this is used to cook the chicken in.
- Flour- I used a little to thicken the sauce.
- Half and half- you can also use milk if you want to cut calories.
- Spinach- I use 5 cups in this recipe, which might seem like a lot. But, as it cooks and wilts, it is barely a cup.
- Rotel- this will add flavor and also a little spice. If you don't like any spice, you can always leave this out.
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Minced garlic
- Basil, oregano, salt, and pepper
- Parmesan cheese
How To Make
Start by cooking your pasta. Make sure it is cooked al dente, which means it is still firm to the tooth. Don't boil it to mush. Reserve about ¼ cup of your pasta water.
While it is cooking, slice your chicken really thin. Strain out the pasta and place your pan back on the cooktop. I used my enameled dutch oven for my cooking pot, but use whatever you like.
When it is heated, which won't take long since it is already hot, add the olive oil to it, then the chicken. Turn the heat to high so the chicken will cook quickly. When the chicken has no pink left, add in the minced garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds or so, then sprinkle on your remaining spices and mix well.
Sprinkle the flour over the top and cook while mixing for about a minute. This will cook out the flour taste. Then add in your chicken broth, Rotel, and spinach. Mix and cook for a few minutes.
The last ingredient is half and half. Mix this in, then stir back in the pasta and parmesan. Taste for flavor and add salt and pepper as needed. I like to wait until the end to add in salt, as the broth and parmesan are very salty.
That is it! It is ready to serve and be enjoyed.
Notes
- This dish can come together even faster if you want to use 2 pots. You can have the pasta going in one and the chicken in another. It takes them about the same amount of time to cook, so they can go and the same time. This is up to you. If you want the meal out even quicker, use this method. If you want to use less dishes, use the one-pot method.
- You can also use ground chicken if you really want to speed up the cooking. It will cook very fast. Making ground chicken at home is really simple too, add it to your food processor and pulse until it is ground.
- Fresh herbs can be use in place of the dry herbs I used. They were what I had on hand when I made this recipe, but of course fresh is better if you have it available.
- If you want to cut calories, use milk instead of the half and half. I like the creaminess of the half and half which is why I used it.
- Make sure your pasta water is at a full rolling boil before adding in the pasta. Also, I do not rinse my pasta after for this recipe. The chicken should cook fast enough that the pasta will be stuck together just a little, but will break right apart when you mix it up.
- Don't over cook your pasta. Al dente is perfect for this recipe. Also, make sure to reserve that pasta water for the sauce. I love using the starchy water to create the perfect sauce.
- You can use this for meal prep as well. Whatever is not eaten, store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will hold well for up to a week! I prefer to reheat in the microwave.
FAQ
No. This is an old wife's tale, that is really outdated and not true.
Make sure the water is at a full rolling boil before adding in the pasta. Also, be sure not to overcook the pasta.
Only if you aren't using it pretty soon. With this recipe, I do not rinse the pasta off with cold water. It is unnecessary.
Chicken and Spinach Pasta Skillet
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 16 ounce dry pasta I used rigatoni, but use whatever you like.
- 10 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt this is for the pasta water, you will need more for seasoning the chicken.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast very thinly sliced for quick cooking
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup rotel
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup half and half
- 5 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil, then salt and add the pasta. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. At the end of the cooking time, pull out ¼ cup pasta water and set it aside.
- Return the pan to the heat and turn on high heat. Add the olive oil. Once it is heated, add the chicken. Sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper. cook until there is no more pink left.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with flour. Cook this, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add in the pasta water, broth, Rotel, basil, and oregano. Mix and cook this for about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add in the half and half, spinach, and parmesan. Mix and cook this for a minute or 2. Taste the pasta and add in more salt and pepper as needed. I wait until the broth and parmesan are added as they are so salty. You don't want to over salt it.
- That is it! The dish is done and ready to serve. You can top with more parmesan if you like or serve it like it is!
Notes
- This dish can come together even faster if you want to use 2 pots. You can have the pasta going in one and the chicken in another. It takes them about the same amount of time to cook, so they can go and the same time. This is up to you. If you want the meal out even quicker, use this method. If you want to use less dishes, use the one-pot method.
- You can also use ground chicken if you really want to speed up the cooking. It will cook very fast. Making ground chicken at home is really simple too, add it to your food processor and pulse until it is ground.
- Fresh herbs can be use in place of the dry herbs I used. They were what I had on hand when I made this recipe, but of course fresh is better if you have it available.
- If you want to cut calories, use milk instead of the half and half. I like the creaminess of the half and half which is why I used it.
- Make sure your pasta water is at a full rolling boil before adding in the pasta. Also, I do not rinse my pasta after for this recipe. The chicken should cook fast enough that the pasta will be stuck together just a little, but will break right apart when you mix it up.
- Don't over cook your pasta. Al dente is perfect for this recipe. Also, make sure to reserve that pasta water for the sauce. I love using the starchy water to create the perfect sauce.
- You can use this for meal prep as well. Whatever is not eaten, store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will hold well for up to a week! I prefer to reheat in the microwave.
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