Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta With Lemon & Parmesan

This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that’s garlicky, lemony, and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it “Mom’s Skillet Pasta,” and she called it “Devon’s Favorite Pasta.” Either way, it’s a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It’s a simple dinner the whole family will love.

Nutrition Notes

Which Is Healthier, Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?

Both chicken breast and chicken thighs fit into a healthy diet. But if you want to reduce the fat in this dish, using chicken breast will do the trick. If you prefer the thigh, remove the skin and trim the fat to lower the fat content.

Do I Have to Use Whole-Wheat Pasta?

Because whole-wheat pasta is made with whole grain, it offers more nutrition in the form of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants than pasta made with refined white flour. While the difference in taste between whole-wheat pasta and regular pasta made with white flour is subtle to most, you can help ease the transition to whole-wheat pasta by making half the pasta in this dish whole-wheat and half regular pasta.

Tips from the Test Kitchen

Can This Recipe Be Made Gluten-Free?

Absolutely! If you have a gluten sensitivity, gluten-free pasta works well here. If not, using whole-wheat pasta will give you a boost of fiber without taking away from the flavor of the dish. We call for penne pasta but any shape will work.

Is There a Substitute for the White Wine?

You can replace the white wine with an equal amount of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.

Can I Use Baby Spinach Instead of Regular Spinach?

Yes, you can. Baby spinach is smaller in size than regular spinach, so there’s no need to chop it.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer, Jan Valdez and Carrie Myers

Ingredients

8 ounces gluten-free penne pasta or whole-wheat penne pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, trimmed, if necessary, and cut into bite-size pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
10 cups chopped fresh spinach
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
MORGAN HUNT GLAZE (PHOTOGRAPHER), EMILY NABORS HALL (FOOD STYLIST)
Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, lemon juice and zest; bring to a simmer.
MORGAN HUNT GLAZE (PHOTOGRAPHER), EMILY NABORS HALL (FOOD STYLIST)
Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and the cooked pasta. Cover and let stand until the spinach is just wilted.
MORGAN HUNT GLAZE (PHOTOGRAPHER), EMILY NABORS HALL (FOOD STYLIST)
Divide among 4 plates and top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan.