Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

This creamy chicken and spinach pasta makes the perfect mid-week meal. It’s filling and delicious with a gorgeous creamy texture. The recipe is ideal for lunch or dinner and it’s also perfect for meal prepping.

This recipe uses chicken breasts that are seasoned and baked. They are then combined with a creamy sauce made with crème fraiche, some spinach and rigatoni pasta.

This creamy chicken spinach pasta is a balanced meal that is perfect for all the family. My younger daughter who is a very fussy eater, loves this recipe so if you have children, they will probably love this recipe too.

The recipe is quick, easy and you can prepare this dish in under 30 minutes so if you have a busy schedule and need something you can rustle up quickly then give this recipe a try.

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

• 2 chicken breast fillets – I use medium or large fillets.
• ½ teaspoon salt – optional
• ½ teaspoon black pepper - optional
• 1 teaspoon garlic granules – seasoning to add flavour to the chicken.
• 1 teaspoon onion granules – seasoning to add flavour to the chicken.
• ¾ teaspoon paprika – seasoning to add flavour and colour to the chicken.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil – or any oil of choice.
• 1 small onion onion – finely chopped.
• 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped.
• 150g cherry tomatoes – you can use any tomatoes though I prefer cherry tomatoes. You can also use tinned tomatoes.
• 250g young spinach – raw weight.
• 160g crème fraiche – you can use half fat crème fraiche if you want to lower the calories.
• 250g rigatoni pasta – dry weight. You can also use penne.
• 50g cheddar cheese – grated. I use mature cheddar for a stronger flavour. You can also use parmesan.

How to Make Creamy Chicken and Spinach Pasta

1. Start by seasoning the chicken breasts with the salt, black pepper, garlic granules, onion granules and paprika. You can season and leave the chicken to rest in the fridge overnight for better flavour but it’s not vital.

2. Place the chicken breasts on a baking tray and bake for 20 - 25 minutes on until cooked through. Allow to cool then chop the chicken into smaller pieces.

3. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain the pasta in a sieve and set aside.

4. To a frying pan, add the cooking oil and cook the onions, garlic and tomatoes for 5 minutes on a medium heat. When the tomatoes become soft, add the spinach and cook until they wilt. Mix in the creme fraiche then mix in the chopped chicken and pasta. Serve and spinkle with a little cheese.

Nutrition

Nutrition based on 1 serving - Calories: 482kcal | Fat: 14.8g | Saturates: 6.8g | Carbs: 52.5g | Sugar: 7.4g | Fibre: 4.0g | Protein: 34.8g | Salt 0.62g

Storage

This recipe can last in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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• Baked Chicken Wrapped in Pancetta
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