This creamy pasta is packed with tender chicken pieces, plenty of spinach and sauteed mushrooms, making it a family favorite for weeknight dinner.
Table of Contents
Creamy Spinach Chicken Pasta
There’s no creativity with the body of this post because this dish speaks for itself…and I may have had another long day at work. What I will say is that it’s my favorite recipe made so far with the Zestuous Weeknight Mornay (Cheese) Sauce. What I love about these Mornay Sauce recipes is that they’re perfect for busy weeknights when you need to feed the whole family quickly. Check out the rest of my Weeknight Mornay Sauce Recipes at the bottom of this post.
Next time I make it, I’m going to omit the chicken. The veggies were just that good! Sautéed onions, garlic and mushrooms with fresh baby spinach all encapsulated with Italian cheeses and whole wheat linguine. I mean, enough said.
I made this in a larger pan (13 x 9), so I used the fridge to make the dough and baked it for 25 minutes at 350. It had nice bubbly cheese and crispy edges. Bon appétit!
Chicken Spinach and Mushroom Linguine
Ingredients
- 13.5 oz. linguine
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups hand-torn spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups Italian cheeses
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- BOIL: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and follow package directions until al dente.
- SAUTÉ: Heat butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions and garlic, until tender. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, until moist. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
- DICE: Finely dice chicken and boil, until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
- SAUCE: Prepare the Mornay Sauce using butter, flour, milk, cheese, salt and Italian seasoning.
- MIX: Combine the pasta, sautéed veggies, chicken and Mornay sauce.
- LAYER: Spoon into your baking dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. You can also add more cheese and/or butter on top for more deliciousness.
- BAKE: Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for chicken spinach linguine
- Linguine. You can use any long type of pasta like spaghetti, Mafalda or bucatini if you’re feeling fancy.
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Portabella mushrooms. These hefty mushrooms have a meaty texture that helps bulk up the pasta. If you can’t find portabella, you can swap for button or baby bella mushrooms.
- Hand-torn spinach leaves. Find bunches or bags of fresh spinach in the produce section.
- Cooked chicken. I recommend boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover pre-cooked chicken you have in the fridge.
- Flour
- Milk. For a truly creamy sauce, go with whole milk or heavy cream for this recipe.
- Italian cheeses. This is all up to you! Try making your mix with provolone, fontina, mozzarella or parmesan cheese.
- Salt
- Italian seasoning
- Panko breadcrumbs
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make easy chicken spinach pasta
- Boil: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and follow package directions until al dente.
- Sauté: Heat butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions and garlic, until tender. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, until moist. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts.
✔️ PRO TIP
Use a dash of chicken broth or the starchy pasta water to deglaze and scrape up all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Thanks to all that caramelization, it’ll add so much flavor to your final dish.
- Dice: Finely dice chicken and boil, until cooked through. Drain and set aside.
- Sauce: Prepare the Mornay Sauce using butter, flour, milk, cheese, salt and Italian seasoning.
- Mix: Combine the pasta, sautéed veggies, chicken and Mornay sauce.
- Layer: Spoon into your baking dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. You can also add more cheese and/or butter on top for more deliciousness.
- Bake: Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
How to serve chicken spinach pasta with mushrooms
This is one of those pasta dishes that begs to be served with a glass of white wine and fresh garlic bread. I love making an easy meal look extra special by dressing up the table with the perfect side dishes, like my cheesy garlic bites and a side salad of fresh tomatoes and leftover spinach. Have some freshly cracked black pepper and a little lemon juice on the table to add a little extra spice and brightness and enjoy!
Storage
If meal prepping for the week, cover each pan with foil, so you can easily reheat it on a weeknight. If storing leftovers, place in an airtight container for up to three days in a fridge or freeze for up to two months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure. I’m a big fan of using what you have on hand or making swaps that make the most sense for your family. Chicken thighs are a bit fattier than chicken breast, so it could add some extra flavor to the sauce. I recommend sticking with chicken breast for this recipe if you don’t like that.
Make sure you’re cooking your pasta until al dente or even slightly under al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven as it soaks up the cream sauce which can lead to a mushy texture if the pasta is overcooked from the beginning.
The best part of comfort food is that you get to add all your favorites. You could add other fresh vegetables like bell peppers, cherry tomatoes or broccolini. You could even try a touch of pesto or adding other fresh herbs to the spinach. If you do, let me know how it went in the comments.
Weeknight Mornay Sauce Recipes
- Monday ~ Green Chile Chicken Penne
- Tuesday ~ Chicken Cordon Bleu Pipe Rigate
- Wednesday ~ Tuna Tetrazzini
- Thursday ~ Chicken Spinach and Mushroom Linguine
- Friday ~ Supreme Pizza Pasta
The sauce would benefit from a bit more butter and cream and slice of milk. The ratio of cheese to milk sauce is a bit unbalanced however, the flavor is very good.