One-pot chicken pasta with spinach

One-pot chicken pasta with spinach: a creamy after-work recipe with chicken breast, baby spinach, garlic, pasta and cream – all cooked in one pan.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 5 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 25 min
• Calories: 520 kcal per serving
• Protein: 40 g
• Fat: 14 g
• Carbs: 52 g

Ingredients

• 250 g chicken breast
• 100 g baby spinach
• 2 garlic cloves
• 200 g penne or fusilli
• 100 ml cooking cream (made from milk, no vegetable fat)
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 pinch of nutmeg

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife · wooden spoon

1. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Wash the baby spinach and finely chop the garlic.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wide saucepan. Brown the chicken breast pieces for 2–3 min and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the garlic and soften briefly. Stir in the pasta and vegetable stock and cook everything over a medium heat until the pasta is tender.
4. Stir in the cooking cream and let it reduce briefly. Add the baby spinach and let it wilt.
5. Season to taste with pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. The sauce should be creamy and coat the pasta loosely.
6. Serve hot, finishing with a little black pepper or a splash of olive oil if you like.

Good to know

When it has to be quick, this dish is pleasantly unfussy. It's creamy, savoury and makes the evening easier with very little washing-up.

Swaps

Cooking cream → cream from grass-fed milk or crème fraîche (often a little less processed) | Pasta → wholewheat pasta (more fibre) | Chicken breast → turkey breast (similar protein content) | Olive oil → ghee (heat-stable, with a stronger flavour)

Allergens

Contains gluten and milk; usually fine for children if seasoned moderately, and fine in pregnancy as long as the chicken is cooked right through and the cream is pasteurised.