Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta

I’ve been blogging for over 8 years now. EIGHT years! That’s totally crazy to me. There are over 800 recipes on this blog which blows my mind! So you can probably imagine that sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all of the things I’ve made over the years.

This Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta is the perfect example. I made this thinking it was at least a new-ish recipe and guess what? I was wrong. I know, I know, like what is even happening? At least I’m consistent. It’s been 6 years since that first one and this one has some slight changes and it’s so yummy, I’m posting it!

First things first, we start off by sauteing some chicken breasts with a little oil and salt and pepper. You’ll also cook some penne pasta. Easy.

The sauce for this recipe is made with some garlic, chicken broth, lemon, low-fat milk, and Parmesan cheese. I also add a bit of flour and some of the reserved pasta water which helps this perfectly lemony sauce stick to the pasta! As you can hopefully see from the photos, the sauce is slightly creamy, but not at all heavy! Toss some fresh spinach in towards the end along with the chicken and this dish is done!

If you want to kick this up even more, you can also add a splash (or three) of some white wine to the sauce. I also like to add lemon zest in addition to the lemon juice, but that’s totally up to you. Broccoli, mushrooms, kale, or other veggies would also work well in this simple pasta dish!

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Yield: 4 servings

Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 35 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

This delicious Lemony Chicken and Spinach Pasta is the perfect weeknight meal! Tossed in a lightly creamy sauce made with milk instead of cream and bursting with lemon flavors!

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 lemons
• 1/2 pound penne pasta
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 3 cups fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush the chicken breasts with one tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts into the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on other side until chicken is cooked through, another 5-7 minutes. Juice one lemon on top of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the heat, cover and let stand.
2. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the penne pasta according to package directions. When cooked, drain the pasta, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
3. Slice the cooked chicken breasts and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet and heat again over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and toss to coat all of the garlic.
4. Whisk in the broth, reserved pasta water, milk, juice of the other lemon (and zest, if desired), and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined. Add the pepper flakes, fresh spinach and sliced chicken. Toss to coat in the sauce and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper and garnish with more grated Parmesan cheese on top. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 498Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 532mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 45g

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