By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 10
269 cal · 30 min
Creamy Chicken Pasta
Recipe GLPR73612448ba7a52
A comforting Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring tender shredded chicken breast combined with a smooth, creamy cheese sauce infused with wilted spinach, fresh garlic, and sweet peas. The pasta is tossed together with the rich sauce and finished with fresh herbs and optional Parmesan for a restaurant-quality meal that comes together in under 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
300g dried penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
75g baby spinach leaves
250g soft cheese
25g grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
4 cooked chicken breasts (about 450g), shredded with a fork
100g frozen peas
1 small bunch fresh parsley or basil, chopped
Directions
Cook the penne according to the package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Once tender, carefully scoop out and reserve 100 ml of the cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the soft cheese to the pan. Stir constantly for 1–2 minutes until the cheese has melted and created a smooth sauce. Stir in most of the Parmesan cheese.
Add the shredded chicken, frozen peas, and about 50 ml of the reserved pasta water to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is heated through and the peas are warm.
Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated with the creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add more of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat. Divide the pasta among serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and the fresh chopped parsley or basil over each portion. Serve immediately.
Comments
All ingredients are readily available at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart with no specialty stops required. At roughly $1.20 to $1.50 per serving, the cost is reasonable—cream cheese and parmesan push it up slightly but are staples in Charlotte's major chains. The 30-minute claim is plausible for cooked-through chicken and pasta, though you're looking closer to 35 if you're dicing chicken from whole breasts rather than buying pre-cut. This is solid family food that reheats decently in the microwave or on the stovetop, though the cream sauce can break slightly if overheated, making it better as a same-day dish than leftovers.
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