Description
This Creamy Garlic Tomato Chicken and Spinach Fettuccine is a flavorful Italian-American dish combining tender chicken strips with a rich garlic tomato cream sauce, fresh baby spinach, and perfectly cooked fettuccine pasta. It’s an easy weeknight dinner that’s both comforting and packed with protein and veggies.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein & Pasta
- 12 oz fettuccine pasta
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
Sauce & Vegetables
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish
- Fresh basil or extra Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Cook the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sliced chicken breasts, seasoning them with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté garlic and tomatoes: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften and release their juices.
- Make the cream sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese, simmering for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes creamy.
- Add spinach: Add the baby spinach to the skillet and stir gently until the spinach wilts down and blends into the sauce.
- Combine chicken and pasta: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, then add the drained fettuccine. Toss everything together thoroughly so the pasta is well coated with the creamy sauce and chicken is evenly distributed.
- Serve: Plate the creamy garlic tomato chicken and spinach fettuccine warm. Garnish with fresh basil leaves or extra Parmesan cheese if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half or evaporated milk for the heavy cream.
- Use sun-dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes for a richer, more concentrated tomato flavor.
- You can swap fettuccine with other pasta shapes like linguine or penne according to preference.
- To make it gluten free, use gluten-free pasta.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper to suit taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1¼ cups
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
