Creamy pasta and chicken in a rich tomato sauce with fresh spinach is impressive yet quick and easy. This healthy one-skillet meal takes 30-minutes and only requires a fork and a hungry appetite.
1 1/2cupsstore-bought marinara pasta sauceI used Mezzetta brand (no added sugar, no preservatives and it's non-GMO
8 ozlite cream cheese, softened
3/4lbspaghetti noodles cooked just under Al dente, about 7 minutes if using a pot of water. Pasta will finish cooking in sauce.See notes below for microwave cooking times with microwave pasta maker
2tspdried Italian seasoning
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1tspsalt
1/2tsppepper
4 cupsfresh spinach
2cupspasta water
Instructions
Cook pasta about 7 minutes, just under Al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water for the sauce.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add olive oil, onion and chicken pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
Add seasonings, marinara and softened cream cheese. Turn heat down to medium low and stir until cream cheese is melted. If the pan seems too hot, remove from the heat while you melt the cream cheese.
Add cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat all the noodles. Add in the spinach and 1 1/2 cups pasta water. Gently stir until all the spinach is wilted and the sauce is creamy and slightly thickened. If the sauce is too thick add more pasta water. Serve immediately!
Notes
Microwave pasta maker- I love my microwave pasta maker. It cooks pasta and veggies perfect every time! If using the microwave method for this recipe, cook spaghetti pasta according to instructions for microwave pasta maker, just under Al dente, about 13 minutes. Don't forget to reserve 2 cups of pasta water for the sauce. Link for pasta maker- https://amzn.to/3g4KqBqNutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Keyword Chicken, noodles, pasta, Pasta sauce, Spaghetti, spinach