Creamy Pasta with Chicken (Printer-Friendly)
A comforting pasta dish featuring tender chicken, creamy sauce, spinach, and sautéed vegetables.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
→ Protein
02 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
09 - 1 cup baby spinach leaves
→ Creamy Sauce
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/3 cup chicken broth
12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
14 - Pinch of ground nutmeg
→ Garnish
15 - Fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Extra Parmesan, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
02 - Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, cook 5–7 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
03 - Reduce skillet heat to medium. Sauté onion 2 minutes until translucent, add garlic and bell pepper, cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
04 - Add heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir in Parmesan, Italian herbs, and nutmeg. Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
05 - Add spinach and cooked chicken to sauce, cook 1–2 minutes until spinach wilts.
06 - Mix pasta with sauce, adding reserved pasta water to adjust consistency.
07 - Plate hot, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinners don't have to feel like a compromise.
- The sauce is silky without being heavy, and it clings to every piece of pasta like it was meant to be together.
- Chicken and vegetables cook right in the same pan, so cleanup is refreshingly simple.
02 -
- Don't let the cream boil vigorously or it can separate and break; keep the heat at a gentle simmer and stir often.
- The pasta water is not just for thinning the sauce—its starch helps the cream cling to the noodles, making every bite luxurious instead of slippery.
03 -
- Have all your ingredients chopped and ready before you start cooking; this pasta moves quickly once you begin, and you won't want to stop mid-sizzle to mince garlic.
- If your sauce seems too thick, thin it with pasta water one splash at a time rather than adding more cream, which can make it oversaturated.