Description
This tomato spinach chicken pasta is a quick and delicious weeknight dinner featuring tender pan-fried chicken breasts simmered in a creamy tomato and spinach sauce, tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Prepare Chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create four thinner pieces. Season both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cook Chicken: Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook chicken pieces for about 5 minutes per side until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Sauté Garlic: In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Sauce: Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning until smooth. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Slice Chicken: Cut the cooked chicken into strips.
- Combine Sauce & Chicken: Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then add the chicken strips and fresh spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts and chicken is warmed through.
- Toss Pasta: If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta and toss until well combined.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Do not substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or other lighter dairy products as the tomatoes could cause the sauce to curdle.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
- For a spicier version, consider adding red pepper flakes to the sauce.
