Creamy Tomato, Chicken, and Spinach Pasta is a quick, easy recipe for a week day or any day!
You have to love a meal that’s on the table in 30 minutes but tastes like you’ve been cooking for hours. The roasted cherry tomato-cream sauce clings deliciously to the fettucine. Pulled rotisserie chicken saves cooking time. Fresh spinach adds color and a bit of healthy counterbalance to the rich sauce. And freshly grated Parmesan cheese finishes off our bowl of Italian comfort food.
Creamy Tomato, Chicken, and Spinach Pasta
Back Story
The idea for this recipe started with a pint of cherry tomatoes I needed to use. I’d perfected a technique for roasting them when my daughter had abundant success with her garden this summer. I simply toss them into a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and toss with salt, pepper, and whatever freshly chopped herb I have on hand. Then I bake them at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size.
So I had baked up a batch of rosemary-roasted cherry tomatoes, and then inspiration struck. I wondered if I could make a version of my Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato, and Spinach Pasta with ingredients I had on hand. I discovered pulled rotisserie chicken in the freezer, heavy cream, spinach, and Parmesan in the frig, and fettuccine, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper in the pantry. When this happens, it makes me feel like the ingredients were just waiting for me to put them together.
Recipe Variations
What I say about salad is also true for pasta; it is not rocket science. This means you can swap ingredients in and out to your heart’s content. If you’re not up for roasting cherry tomatoes, you can use some canned, drained diced tomatoes. However, I do recommend you give the roasted cherry tomato version a try because it enhances the flavor considerably.
You can use other types of protein like shrimp, sliced andouille sausage, or Italian sausage. Each of these would need to be sauteed first. You can skip the spinach or add other veggies like onions, garlic, or bell peppers. Again, plan to saute these veggies at the front end of the cooking process.
Love Pasta?
Check out these additional pasta recipes that I love. You can also search for pasta on my Recipe index.
Creamy Tomato, Chicken, and Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp. minced rosemary
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces Dried fettuccine
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 cup shredded rotiserrie chicken
- 1 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the cherry tomatoes in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, toss, and then season with minced rosemary, salt, and pepper and toss again. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, just until they start to collapse slightly
- While the tomatoes are baking, cook the fettuccine. Drain and set aside. Add cream to the pan used for cooking the pasta and bring to a gentle simmer. Add Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, chicken, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes.
- Add tomatoes and spinach and cook briefly until spinach starts to wilt. Toss in the fettuccine until coated with sauce. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.
This is going to be Big Sky recipe! Just what we need after a big day on the mountain!
It will hit the spot, for sure! Enjoy!