Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach
Chunks of juicy chicken breast, pasta, spinach, and basil in a light garlic lemon coating. An easy recipe the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pasta I use rigatoni, farfalle or penne pasta.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 oz fresh spinach 4 cups packed
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- 6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup pasta water more if needed
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. (Make sure you save some of the pasta water after draining!) After draining, return the pasta to the pot.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small glass bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute to blend flavors.
- Pour about 1 Tbsp of the flavored oil into a large skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add half of the cubed chicken and cook until browned and juices run clear.
- While chicken is cooking, chop the basil and juice the lemon.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet, then repeat the process with the remaining oil and chicken.
- Add the cooked chicken, spinach, basil, lemon juice, parmesan, cheese, cream, and reserved pasta water to the cooked pasta. Toss lightly over medium heat until all ingredients are well combined and the cheese starts to melt.. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you forget to reserve the pasta water, you can use chicken broth instead.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 547kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 40gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 744mgPotassium: 752mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2182IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 206mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!