This Chicken Spinach Pasta recipe has juicy bites of chicken and savory pasta tossed in a Parmesan sauce with spinach, cream cheese, garlic, a hint of lemon juice, and seasonings. You’ll love this restaurant quality dish!

Chicken Spinach Pasta in creamy sauce in a white bowl with Mezza rigatoni pasta.

Chicken Spinach Pasta

This Chicken Spinach Pasta is going to jump to the top of your favorites list! Just wait until you taste this creamy Parmesan sauce, it’s got every flavor element including butter and garlic, perfectly cooked spinach, a hint of cream cheese, juicy bites of chicken, a splash of lemon juice, seasonings, and game changing flavor enhancers!

Be sure to check out my PRO TIPS below to ensure that you nail this recipe. You’re going to do yourself proud!

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with lemon pepper seasoning. Sear in olive oil and set aside. Deglaze the skillet with white wine and reduce by half. 

A skillet of cooked bites of chicken next to a skillet being deglazed with white wine.

Add garlic, butter, and flour to make a roux. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Add the spinach and let it wilt.

A skillet of sauce being added to a roux next to a skillet with spinach being added to a cream sauce.

Add the lemon juice, cooked pasta, and chicken. Stir to combine and heat through. Serve!

Adding pasta and chicken to a skillet of spinach cream sauce and stirring to combine.

Pro Tips

  • Hot Sauce/Dijon Mustard/Soy Sauce: These are all flavor enhancers in the sauce that you can’t taste outright, but they really round out the flavor profile.
    • Hot sauce elevates the other flavors, Dijon adds a hint of tang and acidity, and Soy sauce adds umami. Worcestershire sauce can be used instead of soy sauce if needed.
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning: 
    • Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and is so flavorful. (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!)
    • Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that and consider using less on the chicken. 
    • Note: Ensure that the variety you use has salt. Alternatively, you can season the chicken with salt/pepper.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Parmesan: Grate the Parmesan from a block to ensure it melts well into the sauce and tastes the best. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
    • (Packaged cheeses have anti-caking agents that prevent them from clumping in the packaging, but it also prevents them from melting as well in soups/sauces.)
  • Cream Cheese: This pairs really well with spinach in cream sauces. I find that Philadelphia cream cheese from a tub (vs. a block), melts the best. If you still have small particles in the sauce, they’ll finish melting when the warm pasta is added.
  • Pasta: Any kind of pasta works well in this dish, I used Mezzi Rigatoni which is shorter than regular rigatoni. Other great options include penne and ziti. 

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • These leftovers reheat pretty well. I use the ‘melt’ setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!

Chicken Spinach Pasta in a stainless steel skillet with a creamy white sauce.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • 1 quart measuring cup with a spout– This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add it to the roux in small splashes. 
  • 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
  • Spice Rack–This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block, it melts and tastes much better. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Pasta Strainer– This is the one I have.
  • Silicone Spatulas– I have these, they’re so gentle on your cookware and are the perfect tool for making the roux and stirring the sauce throughout this recipe.
  • Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts.

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Chicken Spinach Pasta in a creamy sauce with chicken and spinach in a white bowl.

Chicken Spinach Pasta

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
5 from 6 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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This Chicken Spinach Pasta recipe has juicy bites of chicken and savory pasta tossed in a Parmesan sauce with spinach, cream cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Sauce

  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: basil, oregano, onion powder, parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Chicken/Pasta, etc.

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning, see notes
  • ½ pound Mezzi rigatoni, see notes
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
  • ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 cups packed baby spinach, or up to 4 oz.
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
  • Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes. Pat completely dry and season with lemon pepper seasoning.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes, until a brown crust has developed. Remove and set aside.
  • Begin boiling a pot of water for the pasta. Once a boil is reached, stir in salt (I use ½ tbsp). Add the pasta and cook it according to package instructions. Drain once cooked.
  • Meanwhile, add the wine to the same skillet used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone.
  • Add the sauce mixture to the skillet in small splashes, stirring continuously. Do this slowly to maintain the thickness of the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese and stir to combine, small remaining particles will melt when the pasta is added. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan, stirring continuously. Cover partially until the pasta is ready.
  • Add the spinach and let it wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, pasta, and chicken and stir to combine and heat through. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Hot Sauce/Dijon Mustard/Soy Sauce: These are all flavor enhancers in the sauce that you can’t taste outright, but they really round out the flavor profile:
    • Hot sauce elevates the other flavors, Dijon adds a hint of tang and acidity, and Soy sauce adds umami. Worcestershire sauce can be used instead of soy sauce if needed.
  • Lemon Pepper Seasoning: 
    • Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and is so flavorful. (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!)
    • Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that and consider using less on the chicken. 
    • Note: Ensure that the variety you use has salt. Alternatively, you can season the chicken with salt/pepper.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this, chicken broth can be used instead.
  • Parmesan: Grate the Parmesan from a block to ensure it melts well into the sauce and tastes the best. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
    • (Packaged cheeses have anti-caking agents that prevent them from clumping in the packaging, but it also prevents them from melting as well in soups/sauces.)
  • Cream Cheese: This pairs really well with spinach. I find that Philadelphia cream cheese from a tub (vs. a block), melts the best.
  • Pasta: Any kind of pasta works well in this dish, I used Mezzi Rigatoni which is shorter than regular rigatoni. Other great options include penne and ziti. 
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • These leftovers reheat pretty well. I use the ‘melt’ setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 461kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 94mg, Sodium: 732mg, Potassium: 578mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1930IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 197mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie