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.

Course chicken pasta, dinner, main meal pasta

Cuisine American Italian, Italian

Keyword chicken alfredo penne pasta, chicken and penne pasta recipes, chicken penne pasta recipe, chicken penne pasta recipes, how to make chicken alfredo with penne pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 873kcal

Author Beth Pierce

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.

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