Quick Chicken Spinach & Tomato One-Pot Pasta
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.
Servings: 6
Cost: $10
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
Be sure to check the full post for more about the ingredients, substitutions, storing tips, and serving suggestions.
- 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.