This one-pot chicken pasta with fresh spinach is a terrific 30-minute meal! Recipe uses half and half for a creamy texture, and canned diced tomatoes (rotel). It’s simple to prepare and an easy pasta dish for dinner. The pictured recipe uses rigatoni noodles, or try it with my homemade whole wheat pasta noodles.
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Are you looking for a quick weeknight meal? This Chicken and Spinach Skillet Pasta is a dish the whole family will love! Plus, it cooks in just one pot and comes together in about 30 minutes.
If you are looking for other easy dinner dishes, what about this skillet chicken recipe and taco tater tot casserole? If you are looking for another option that is also easy to make, my family loves these cod tacos.
What Makes This One Pot Chicken Pasta Work?
- 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 comes together quickly. Just make sure to cut that chicken into thin strips and it will go very fast.
- One-Pot Meal. I mean, you can use 2, but I show it as a one-pot which makes for easy clean-up and no stress.
- Makes a Big Batch. This is great if you are feeding a crowd or if you want to use this for meal prep. It reheats in the microwave well and even tastes better the second time around!
Ingredients
This tomato chicken spinach pasta uses simple ingredients you can easily find in most large grocery stores. Here's a look at what you need:
- Pasta: I used rigatoni but you can use any type of pasta you like. You can even learn how to make whole wheat pasta noodles to serve with this tomato chicken spinach pasta!
- Chicken Breasts: Use skinless, boneless breasts for easy prep. I like to cut them up into really thin strips for quick cooking.
- Olive oil: We will be using this for cooking the chicken. You can use other neutral oils if you prefer.
- Flour: A bit added to the pot helps to thicken the sauce.
- Half and half: You can also use milk if you want to cut calories.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach works great and wilts down to the perfect amount in this easy pasta dish. You can also use other types of greens such as kale or arugula.
- Rotel Tomatoes: These canned tomatoes add flavor and also a little spice. If you don't like any spice, you can always leave this out or swap it for another type of diced tomato.
- Chicken or vegetable broth: Creates the sauce for this one-pot chicken pasta with spinach.
- Minced garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Herbs and spices: This simple pasta uses basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to create a deliciously seasoned dish.
- Parmesan cheese: Pasta and cheese are a match made in heaven!
Be sure to check the full list of ingredients in the recipe card for the quantities of each.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use Ground Chicken Instead. It cooks even faster. You can buy it at the store or make ground chicken at home. It's really simple. Add it to your food processor and pulse until it is ground.
- Use Fresh Herbs. I had dried on hand when I made this recipe, but of course fresh is better if you have it available. You will need to increase the amount of fresh 3x so use one tablespoon of basil and two tablespoons of oregano.
- Other dairy options? You can use milk instead of half and half. I like the creaminess of the half-and-half which is why I used it but the milk has fewer calories and fat.
How To Make Chicken Spinach Pasta
This dish is great for weeknights! It takes just minutes to make and goes together easily on one pot. Let's get started.
- 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 a quarter cup of your pasta water before draining the pasta.
PRO TIP: I like to cook this meal in one pot so I don't have as many dishes to do. I find my enameled dutch oven works perfectly for cooking this dish but you can use whatever you like.
- Add the olive oil to the pan after removing and draining the pasta. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Turn the heat to high so the chicken will cook quickly.
- Add in the minced garlic when the chicken has no pink left and stir for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle on your remaining spices and mix well.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top and cook while mixing for about a minute. Cooking the flour will remove any flavor of the flour.
- Add in your chicken broth and Rotel tomatoes to the pot.
- Add the half-half, spinach and pasta to the pot.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste for flavor and add salt and pepper as needed.
PRO TIP: I like to wait until the very end to add in salt. The broth and parmesan are very salty and can vary by brand so waiting until the end gives me more control over the sodium.
That is it! It is ready to serve and be enjoyed.
How to Store
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. I don't recommend freezing it.
Reheat leftovers in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. You may find it needs a bit of liquid such as broth or milk added to revive it a bit! I usually like to add a bit more parmesan cheese on top and then serve.
Serving Suggestions
This one-pot chicken pasta with spinach doesn't need much to turn it into a complete and hearty meal. Here are some ideas for a bit of inspiration.
- Salad: A simple salad goes great with pasta. A peach caprese salad or strawberry basil salad is perfect in the summer. You might also enjoy this shaved Brussels sprout salad.
- Bread: I love bread and pasta together. Give these parmesan bread bites a try or some cheesy garlic bread. You won't be disappointed.
- Dessert: Even family dinners should include dessert on occasion! Enjoy a strawberry crumble, fresh mint brownies, or this lemon kamut pound cake.
Expert Tips
- Need to Save Even More Time? Use two 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 you can start them at the same time. Just remember you will have an extra dish to wash!
- Boil Your Water First. Make sure your pasta water is at a full rolling boil before adding in the pasta. Also, I do not rinse my pasta after this recipe.
- 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.
- Use For Meal Prep. Whatever is not eaten, store in an airtight container in the fridge. It's great for a quick lunch later on! I prefer to reheat in the microwave.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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Quick Chicken Spinach & Tomato One-Pot Pasta
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
- Need to Save Even More Time? Use two 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 you can start them at the same time. Just remember you will have an extra dish to wash!
- Boil Your Water First. 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.
- 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.
- Use For Meal Prep. Whatever is not eaten, store in an airtight container in the fridge. It's great for a quick lunch later on! I prefer to reheat in the microwave.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!