Go Back
Creamy chicken penne with spinach in a shallow white bowl, glossy Parmesan cream sauce coating ridged penne

Creamy Chicken Penne with Spinach

Creamy Chicken Penne with Spinach is a cozy skillet pasta with chicken, penne, cream, spinach, garlic, Parmesan, and pasta water to help the sauce cling to the pasta. It uses everyday ingredients and makes dinner in about 40 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces penne pasta
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley optional

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the penne and cook until just al dente, usually 10 to 11 minutes, or 1 minute less than the package says. Scoop out 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season it with 3/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Dry chicken browns better, and browning matters here.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for 3 minutes so it can get golden on the bottom. Stir and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the pieces are cooked through and browned in spots.
  4. Move the chicken to a plate. If you are checking with a thermometer, chicken should reach 165°F in the thickest piece, as recommended by the USDA safe temperature chart.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until it smells good. Don't let it brown hard, because burnt garlic will make the whole sauce taste sharp.
  6. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. It will look a little pasty, and that's fine. This small spoonful of flour helps the sauce hold together without turning it into gravy.
  7. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Those browned bits should loosen up and darken the sauce slightly. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
  8. Stir in the heavy cream and bring it to a gentle simmer. Keep the heat at medium or a little lower. A hard boil can make cream sauce look greasy, and nobody wants that.
  9. Add the Parmesan a handful at a time, stirring after each addition. Use freshly grated Parmesan if you can. The pre-shredded kind often has anti-caking powder and doesn't melt as smoothly.
  10. Add the drained penne and cooked chicken back to the skillet. Toss everything together for 1 to 2 minutes, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce looks too thick. It should coat the pasta, not sit in a puddle.
  11. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute, just until wilted. Add lemon juice and red pepper flakes if using. Taste before adding the last 1/4 teaspoon salt, because Parmesan and broth can vary quite a bit.
  12. Take the skillet off the heat and let the pasta rest for 2 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it sits, and the penne finishes soaking up the flavor.

Notes

Use a 12-inch skillet so the chicken browns instead of steaming. Save pasta water to loosen and gloss the sauce, keep the cream at a gentle simmer, grate the Parmesan yourself, add spinach at the end, and don't rinse the pasta. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of milk, cream, broth, or water.