This Garlic Hen Pasta with Spinach is loaded with taste, and will be on the desk in half-hour. Itâs an effective way to get your loved ones to eat spinach and truly get pleasure from it!
I wish to spherical out the meal with sides like candy boiled carrots or cream cheese fruit salad.

I discovered this simple rooster pasta recipe at Melâs Kitchen Cafe over a decade in the past. The unique recipe was fairly tasty, however I wished it a bit extra saucy. Itâs been tweaked just a few instances through the years.
I changed among the olive oil with cream and pasta water. Itâs not swimming in sauce, but it surely is a bit more creamy and scrumptious. Thereâs simply sufficient garlic sauce to coat the pasta.
I like the recent taste of the lemon juice with the saltiness of the Parmesan cheese. The tender rooster items have a pleasant garlic-y style, and the pink pepper provides only a little bit of a kick.
How you can make garlic rooster spinach pasta:
- PASTA â Prepare dinner pasta in salted boiling water in a big stainless-steel pan till barely tender. Drain and reserve among the water. Return the pasta to the pot.
- GARLIC OIL â In a small glass bowl, warmth the olive oil, garlic, and pink pepper flakes for 30-60 seconds within the microwave, simply till aromatic.
- CHICKEN â Whereas the water involves a boil, reduce the rooster into one inch items. Season it with the salt and pepper. Warmth a tablespoon of the oil in a big skillet. Prepare dinner half of the rooster over medium excessive warmth, then add to the cooked pasta. Repeat with the remaining oil and rooster.
- COMBINE â Add the spinach, basil, lemon juice, parmesan, cream, pasta water, the pasta, and rooster. Prepare dinner and stir over medium warmth till cheese melts.
- SERVE â If desired, garnish with further parmesan and basil.

PRO TIPS:
- Donât overcook the noodles. You need al dente pasta as a result of it’s going to take in among the sauce, and nothingâs worse than soggy pasta!
- I like to make use of child spinach for this recipe as a result of itâs extra tender.
- For greatest outcomes, use a great high quality parmesan cheese. The stuff within the inexperienced can doesnât soften fairly as properly.
SPINACH CHICKEN PASTA VARIATIONS:
- For a lighter dish, you should utilize entire milk instead of the heavy whipping cream.
- Use entire wheat pasta for extra vitamins and a lift of fiber.
- If you happen to actually desire a potent lemon taste, add some lemon zest to the sauce.

MORE PASTA DISHES FOR BUSY WEEKNIGHTS:
Recipe initially printed 2/23/2010, up to date March 2025.
Yield: 6 servings
Garlic Hen Pasta with Spinach
Chunks of juicy rooster breast, pasta, spinach, and basil in a lightweight garlic lemon coating. A simple recipe the entire household will love!
Prep Time
5 minutes
Prepare dinner Time
25 minutes
Whole Time
half-hour
Components
- 1 pound dry pasta (I take advantage of rigatoni, farfalle or penne pasta.)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp pink pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 kilos boneless skinless rooster breast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz recent spinach (4 cups packed)
- 1/2 cup recent basil, chopped
- 6 Tbsp recent lemon juice
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup pasta water (extra if wanted)
Directions
- Prepare dinner pasta in salted boiling water in response to package deal instructions. (Ensure you save among the pasta water after draining!) After draining, return the pasta to the pot.
- In the meantime, reduce the rooster into chunk sized items and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Warmth the olive oil, minced garlic, and pink pepper flakes in a small glass bowl within the microwave for about 1 minute to mix flavors.
- Pour about 1 Tbsp of the flavored oil into a big skillet and warmth to medium-high warmth. Add half of the cubed rooster and cook dinner till browned and juices run clear.
- Whereas rooster is cooking, chop the basil and juice the lemon.
- Take away the rooster from the skillet, then repeat the method with the remaining oil and rooster.
- Add the cooked rooster, spinach, basil, lemon juice, parmesan, cheese, cream, and reserved pasta water to the cooked pasta. Toss calmly over medium warmth till all substances are properly mixed and the cheese begins to soften.. Serve instantly.
Notes
-If you happen to neglect to order the pasta water, you should utilize rooster broth as an alternative.
-Leftovers will be saved in an hermetic container for 3-4 days.
Beneficial Merchandise
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Vitamin Data:
Yield:
6
Serving Dimension:
1
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 594Whole Fats: 14gSaturated Fats: 5gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 8gLdl cholesterol: 111mgSodium: 725mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 50g
This garlic spinach rooster pasta tastes like consolation meals, but it surely doesnât have a heavy sauce, so itâs more healthy than lots of rooster pasta recipes.