Creamy three-cheese chicken and spinach pasta is made with basil pesto, cream cheese, Asiago, and Parmesan cheese. This pasta dish is done in under 30 minutes and feeds the whole family.
This three-cheese chicken and spinach pasta is a delicious and creamy one-pot meal that is easy to throw together!
It has three kinds of cheese that make it especially tasty – Parmesan, Asiago, and cream cheese. It’s simple and quick, which makes it perfect to prepare during the work week after a long day.
What ingredients do I need to make chicken & spinach pasta?
- Chicken Breasts
- Pasta Noodles (Like Penne)
- Parmesan
- Asiago
- Cream Cheese
- Spinach
- Half & Half
- Minced Garlic
- Jar of Basil Pesto (or try the homemade version below)
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Spinach Benefits
Adding spinach is a great way to slip in some nutrients to this carb-licious pasta meal — iron, folate, potassium, and is most known for its vitamin K content.
That looks like a lot of spinach!
I realize you’re looking at your 16-ounce bag of spinach and thinking, “‘Oh my goodness, that’s a lot of spinach.” But once you chop it and cook it, it does cook down quite a bit and is not so, how do you say… fluffy?
How to Make Basil Pesto
In a food processor or blender, combine:
- 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 3 tablespoons Toasted Pine Nuts
- ¼ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- 3 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
After finely blending the ingredients, stir in ¼ cup olive oil. Do not blend the olive oil, otherwise, it will become foamy.
Recommended Recipes
- Air Fryer Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Marsala Wine Sauce with Mushrooms
- One-Pot Lasagna Soup
Creamy Three-Cheese Chicken and Spinach Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast diced
- 12 oz Penne
- 16 oz Chopped Spinach
- 2 cups Half & Half
- 4 tablespoon Basil Pesto
- 5 oz Cream Cheese
- ¼ cup Freshly Grated Asiago Cheese
- ¼ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cook pasta according to directions on box until al dente.
- Rinse and coarsely chop spinach.
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Dice chicken into 1" cubes.
- Using an oven-safe pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat and cook diced chicken, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and cook 60 seconds, or until aromatic.
- Add half & half, cream cheese, pesto, and salt & pepper to the pan. Cook until cream cheese is melted. Stir in spinach and pasta. Top evenly with Parmesan and Asiago cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 8 minutes uncovered. Serve with hot garlic bread.
Leave a Reply