Delicious Chicken pasta in a lighter creamy garlic sauce. Made with penne pasta, tender chicken breast and fresh wilted spinach. A perfect any night of the week meal.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Who doesn't love a creamy chicken dish, especially when it has heaps of flavour and is combined with pasta for a filling comfort meal in a bowl.
One of my favourite easy go to pasta recipes on Slimming Eats is this Creamy Garlic Pasta, so simple but really flavoursome and delicious. We as a family love creamy pasta dishes, but days like today when I need a filling meal, some added protein is a must and thats when dishes like this Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach and Penne Pasta are perfect.
Calories in Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach Penne Pasta
This delicious pasta dish serves 4 people and has 506 calories per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 500+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into small strips so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavour. Adjust the amount depending on how strong you like the garlic taste.
- Penne pasta: Penne works well because the creamy sauce coats the tubes nicely. You can swap for fusilli, rigatoni, farfalle, or another short pasta shape. Cook until just al dente so it does not become too soft in the sauce.
- Chicken stock: Adds savoury depth to the sauce. Use low-sodium stock if you want more control over the salt level. I like using chicken Better Than Bouillon stock paste. It adds savoury depth and keeps the sauce rich and full of flavour as the pasta cooks. Be sure to use the right ratio of stock cubes or paste to water for a balanced, tasty broth. Too little and it'll taste flat; too much and it can become overly salty.
- Semi-skimmed milk: Keeps the sauce creamy without making it too heavy.
- Light cream cheese: Creates the creamy base of the sauce. Let it soften slightly before adding so it melts more easily.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the sauce. Arrowroot or tapioca starch can be used as alternatives.
- Fresh spinach: It looks like a lot, but spinach wilts down significantly. Add it near the end of cooking so it stays fresh and green. Baby spinach works especially well.
- Parmesan: Adds saltiness and a savoury finish. Freshly grated parmesan melts better than pre-grated and gives a smoother sauce.
- Salt and black pepper: The ultimate flavour enhancers
- Olive oil spray: Used to lightly coat the pan and brown the chicken without adding too much oil. A small drizzle of olive oil can be used instead if preferred.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
There are plenty of easy ways to adapt this creamy garlic chicken spinach pasta using different proteins, pasta shapes, vegetables, or cheeses depending on what you have on hand.
- Swap chicken breast for chicken thighs, or use leftover cooked chicken added at the end. Chicken can also be swapped for turkey, lean bacon, ham, prawns, or even salmon for a slightly different twist.
- For a vegetarian version, leave out the chicken and add mushrooms, broccoli, peppers, peas, or vegetarian chicken-style pieces.
- Penne can be replaced with fusilli, rigatoni, tagliatelle, or wholewheat pasta.
- Use gluten-free pasta and stock if needed.
- Spinach can be replaced with kale, rocket, Swiss chard, or frozen spinach.
- Parmesan can be swapped for pecorino, mature cheddar, or another hard cheese.
- Add extra flavour with chilli flakes, Italian herbs, lemon juice, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Bulk out the pasta with extra vegetables like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, or peas.
Sides for Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach and Penne Pasta
Wondering what to serve this with? You can enjoy it just as it is, as it has all that lovely iron rich spinach in the recipe. But if you want a more filling plate of food a simple side salad will pair well with this or some other vegetables of your choosing.
Some suggestions are:
- Green Beans (sauteed or roasted)
- Broccoli (steam or roasted)
- Asparagus (sauteed or baked)
- Cauliflower (steamed or roasted)
- Courgette (Zucchini) (sauteed or grilled)
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over a low heat until piping hot. You may need to add a splash of milk or stock to loosen the sauce back up.
This pasta can be frozen, although creamy sauces can sometimes change texture slightly once thawed. Allow to cool completely before freezing in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for some other chicken pasta recipes to enjoy? Check out these:
see more Chicken Recipes
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
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Recipe Card
Creamy Garlic Chicken with Spinach Penne Pasta
Delicious Chicken pasta in a lighter creamy garlic sauce. Made with penne pasta, tender chicken breast and fresh wilted spinach. A perfect any night of the week meal.
Ingredients
- 500g (17.5oz) of boneless and skinless chicken breast (raw) sliced into small strips
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 250g (9oz) uncooked penne pasta
- 240ml (1 cup) of chicken stock
- 240ml (1 cup) of semi skimmed (2%) milk
- 100g (3.5oz) of light cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (can also use arrowroot or tapioca starch)
- 300g (10.5oz) of fresh spinach
- 30g (1oz) parmesan
- salt and black pepper
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Heat a deep frying pan over a medium high heat with olive oil spray.
- Season the chicken with some salt and black pepper, add to the pan and sear the pieces of both sides until lightly golden, remove and set aside.
- Spray with a little more olive oil spray, add the minced garlic and fry for a couple of minutes, gradually add in a ½ cup (120ml) of the stock and reduce down around the garlic so that it becomes lovely and softened (do not burn).
- Add the pasta to a saucepan of salted boiling water and cook until al dente, before you drain reserve ⅓ (80ml) of the pasta water.
- Add the remaining stock, milk and cream cheese to the garlic and simmer until the cream cheese is all melted (I whisk as it heats to melted).
- Mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a slurry and add this into the sauce.
- Add in the spinach and chicken and continue to simmer until to the spinach is all wilted, chicken is cooked through and the sauce is lovely and creamy.
- Add in the pasta, reserved pasta water and parmesan and and stir until the parmesan melts into the sauce.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve and enjoy!!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly - see storing, freezing and reheating section
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 506Total Fat 11.6gSaturated Fat 5.3gCholesterol 5.9mgSodium 507mgCarbohydrates 57.9gFiber 4.1gSugar 5.9gProtein 45g
Kate says
Very tasty, easy and quick to make. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Liana says
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Quick to make and the sauce was so creamy! Another great recipe.
Annie says
A quick recipe to make. I used Garlic & Herb half fat soft cheese which added to the flavour. Definitely will become a regular in our house.
Annie says
A quick tasty recipe. Used half fat Garlic & Herb cream cheese which added to the flavour. Will definitely become a regular in our house.
Chelsea says
Made this for the first time this evening and I must say it’s a house favourite ! So tasty and creamy it will definitely be a regular meal for us ! So quick and easy to make!
Caroline says
Made this today it was delicious and easy to make. Great flavour will make again thank you very much
Patricia says
What would you use instead of spinach? Hate cooked spinach love it fresh in a salad
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
mushrooms or leeks would be a great addition.
Maria Joergensen says
Substituted the chicken for mushrooms and it was gorgeous, thank you so much for a speedy and easy recipe
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
That sounds like a yummy variation. So glad you enjoyed it.
Jackie says
Just had this for the first time. The whole family loved it.
Lisa Munoz says
This was really great even my picky seven year old who doesn't like spinach asked for seconds.
Liane says
Made this tonight (snuck in a little onion and mushrooms minced up like the garlic to hide from the kiddos) it was gorgeous, can’t believe how creamy it was
Jo cooper says
Do you crush the garlic in garlic crusher as 6 cloves seem a lot
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
I don't use a crushed I just mince very finely with a knife. It may seem like a lot but it adds a lovely flavour as the garlic takes on a almost sweet flavour with the cooking process. Just follow the recipe and it's perfect.
Maria, Dublin, Ireland says
I made this on Monday. Magnifique. Since I discovered Slimmingeats, my repertoire of healthy, low fat dishes has increased. My husband is delighted. Thanks Siobhan
Tony Gardiner says
Have made this dish a couple of times now love it, I’ve cheated sometimes and used frozen spinach instead of fresh and still a great meal xx
Milly says
I’ve made this dish several times. Absolutely lovely.
I’d like to make it tomorrow, but can I substitute the spinach for asparagus? I’ve got a big bunch that needs using up. Thanks