This delicious chicken penne pasta combines lightly breaded crispy chicken chunks with pasta, tomatoes, and spinach in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce. You are going to love this quick and tasty pasta dish.
I love to serve this pasta with garlic knots, Italian salad, and strawberry lemonade, but there are dozens of other great choices.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Pasta: Any medium pasta will work for this recipe, like rigatoni, ziti, rotini, campanelle, or elbow macaroni.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Italian seasoning: Italian Seasoning or fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil, and parsley. If using fresh herbs, sprinkle them in during the final toss.
- Chicken broth: Preferably low-sodium.
- Heavy cream: You can substitute whipping cream.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is always best.
- Spinach: I prefer baby spinach because it is less bitter and has fewer thick stems.
- Tomatoes: I use cherry bomb tomatoes, but you can use any grape or cherry tomatoes.
How To Make Chicken Penne Pasta
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain well.
- Bread the chicken and brown it in oil over medium heat. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for a minute while stirring.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and reduce for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the the parmesan cheese until melted. Add the baby spinach and tomatoes, and cook until the spinach wilts.
- Add the drained pasta and cooked chicken back to the pot and toss to coat.
Preparation Tips
- Follow the instructions on the pasta box and cook it al dente, which means the pasta is cooked a little firm to the bite. This is true Italian style and helps prevent the pasta from absorbing all of the sauce.
- Cook the spinach just until wilted.
- For even more flavor, add ½ cup dry white wine right after the garlic and Italian seasoning. Simmer until reduced to a couple of tablespoons.
Serving Suggestions
- Bread and rolls: yeast dinner rolls, beer bread, and cheddar bay biscuits.
- Soup: minestrone, French onion soup, and cheesy cauliflower soup.
- Salads: marinated cucumbers and onions, mandarin orange salad, and spring mix salad.
Chicken Penne Pasta
This delicious chicken penne pasta combines lightly breaded crispy chicken chunks with pasta, tomatoes, and spinach in a garlic Parmesan cream sauce.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 873kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into ¾ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
- chopped fresh parsley
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente and drain well.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and pepper together in a wide bowl. Dredge the chicken through the flour mixture. Heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot. Cook the chicken until brown and cooked through, flipping halfway through the cooking process. Work in batches, moving the chicken to a plate when cooked. Add a little more oil when needed.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the the parmesan cheese until melted. Add the baby spinach and tomatoes, and cook until the spinach wilts.
- Add the drained pasta and cooked chicken back to the pot and toss to coat. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power for short intervals until warm.
- With heavy cream in the sauce, I do not recommend freezing this dish as it will likely separate when thawed.
Nutrition
Calories: 873kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 829mg | Potassium: 1080mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2995IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 3mg
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Arieta Andreia Mulligan
This sounds amazing. Crispy chicken, pasta, and a garlic Parmesan cream sauce? That’s literally everything I want on a busy weeknight. Adding this straight to my dinner rotation.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Arieta! Enjoy!
Alejandra
This is the kind of recipe that makes my kids eat spinach without complaints. Delicious chicken pasta, I’ll do this recipe again!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Alejandra!
Catalina
Tried it for lunch and it came together fast. Creamy, comforting, and really filling. I’ll make it again for busy days.
Tammy
Super comforting and delicious. The family loved this recipe and it was so easy to make during the week. We really loved this!
Amy
This “Marry Me Chicken Pasta” sounds like the ideal weeknight comfort food! The rich, creamy Parmesan sauce combined with sun-dried tomatoes and basil is such a killer combination. I can see why this is a favorite!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Amy! Enjoy!
Patricia
I love everything about this pasta dish (particularly the “easy” part)! The color is so appealing and the flavors will make this a go-to for a long time in my home!
Ben
Boom! This is so good! All I added was some garlic bread. Perfection.
Terri
I love the flavor of the tomatoes and spinach in that creamy sauce with the chicken. This was really good.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Terri!
Kristin
I made this last night for dinner with some garlic breadsticks, and we loved it. The kids were VERY pleased.
Beth Pierce
I am so glad that they liked it.
Maria
I love how easy this recipe is. I was able to whip it up in no time. Easy is the tastiest flavor of all.
Beth Pierce
I agree, Maria!