Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts, cleaned and sliced in half horizontally
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, as needed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle for chicken
For the Sauce and Pasta
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, block
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, as needed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup pasta water, as needed
- 16 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- 1
Clean the chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Season both sides of the chicken cutlets generously with garlic powder, onion powder, Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend, Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, and smoked paprika. Drizzle with a little olive oil and rub the seasonings into the chicken.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes per side, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and set aside on a cutting board. Do not clean the skillet.
⏱️ 1 min
- 5
Add the 4 crushed garlic cloves to the same skillet and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
⏱️ 2 min
- 6
Pour in the 24 ounces of marinara sauce and 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Add the 8-ounce block of cream cheese to the sauce mixture.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
Cover the pan and allow the cream cheese to soften for about 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Uncover and whisk the sauce until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
⏱️ 2 min
- 9
Season the sauce with additional garlic powder, onion powder, Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to taste.
⏱️ 1 min
- 10
Stir in the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese until melted and combined.
⏱️ 1 min
- 11
Add a little bit of pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to the sauce to help achieve your desired consistency, if needed.
⏱️ 1 min
- 12
Add the 16 ounces of cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well to coat all the pasta.
⏱️ 2 min
- 13
Mix in the fresh spinach. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt and cook down.
⏱️ 5 min
- 14
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min
- 15
Dice the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 3 min
- 16
Add the diced chicken to the pasta and mix everything together gently.
⏱️ 1 min
- 17
Let the dish simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
⏱️ 10 min
- 18
Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta
For the Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts, cleaned and sliced in half horizontally
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, as needed
- 1 teaspoon onion powder, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle for chicken
For the Sauce and Pasta
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, block
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, as needed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup pasta water, as needed
- 16 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- 1
Clean the chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Season both sides of the chicken cutlets generously with garlic powder, onion powder, Morton Nature's Seasons Seasoning Blend, Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, and smoked paprika. Drizzle with a little olive oil and rub the seasonings into the chicken.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the seasoned chicken and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes per side, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F).
⏱️ 15 min - 4
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet and set aside on a cutting board. Do not clean the skillet.
⏱️ 1 min - 5
Add the 4 crushed garlic cloves to the same skillet and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
⏱️ 2 min - 6
Pour in the 24 ounces of marinara sauce and 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream. Add the 8-ounce block of cream cheese to the sauce mixture.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
Cover the pan and allow the cream cheese to soften for about 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Uncover and whisk the sauce until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
⏱️ 2 min - 9
Season the sauce with additional garlic powder, onion powder, Kinders Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to taste.
⏱️ 1 min - 10
Stir in the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese until melted and combined.
⏱️ 1 min - 11
Add a little bit of pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to the sauce to help achieve your desired consistency, if needed.
⏱️ 1 min - 12
Add the 16 ounces of cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well to coat all the pasta.
⏱️ 2 min - 13
Mix in the fresh spinach. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt and cook down.
⏱️ 5 min - 14
Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pasta.
⏱️ 1 min - 15
Dice the cooked chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 3 min - 16
Add the diced chicken to the pasta and mix everything together gently.
⏱️ 1 min - 17
Let the dish simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
⏱️ 10 min - 18
Serve hot, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
⏱️ 1 min