Dinner

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Pasta

Golden seared chicken over penne folded through a silky tomato-cream sauce with mushrooms, sweet cherry tomatoes, and spinach wilted right into the pan. Everything happens in one skillet while the pasta boils, and it lands at roughly fifty-six grams of protein per serving — weeknight comfort food that eats like a restaurant plate.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 12 oz penne pasta
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for the pasta water
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Steps

1. Season and sear the chicken: Season the chicken breasts all over with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken 5–6 minutes per side, until deeply golden and cooked through. Move it to a cutting board to rest.
2. Boil the pasta: Meanwhile, cook the penne in well-salted boiling water until just shy of tender. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, then drain.
3. Sauté the vegetables: In the same skillet with the remaining olive oil, sauté the mushrooms and onion for 5–6 minutes, until softened and golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
4. Wilt the greens: Add the cherry tomatoes and spinach and cook 2–3 minutes, until the tomatoes start to soften and the spinach wilts down.
5. Build the sauce: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until it darkens. Pour in the cream and simmer 2–3 minutes, until the sauce turns silky and rosy and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
6. Slice, toss, and serve: Toss the drained penne through the sauce, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed. Slice the rested chicken on the bias, serve the pasta in bowls topped with the chicken slices, and finish with the grated Parmesan.

Dad tip: let the chicken rest the full time the sauce comes together — slicing it too early loses the juices that keep every bite tender.

▶See the original recipe

Recipe adapted from mjkitchen’s Creamy Chicken & Spinach Pasta (@mjkitchen-l6r) — original Short. The source listed ingredients without quantities; the amounts here are our standard reconstruction and the nutrition figures are our estimates, not the creator’s.