Description
A creamy and comforting Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring tender chicken, ricotta cheese, and a bright lemony sauce. This recipe combines rigatoni or penne pasta with a luscious ricotta and Parmesan sauce, fresh baby spinach, and aromatic basil, perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Chicken
- 12 oz pasta (rigatoni or penne)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Vegetables and Garnish
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- Extra Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper. Add chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 6–7 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic: In the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Make Ricotta Sauce: Reduce heat to low. Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Slowly add the reserved pasta water, stirring continuously until a creamy sauce forms.
- Add Spinach: Stir fresh baby spinach into the sauce until wilted and well combined.
- Combine Pasta and Chicken: Add the cooked pasta and chicken back into the skillet. Toss everything together carefully to coat pasta and chicken evenly with the creamy ricotta sauce.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese before serving warm.
Notes
- For extra richness, stir in a splash of heavy cream with the ricotta while making the sauce.
- This dish can be made quicker by using shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking raw chicken breast.
- Be careful not to overcook the garlic to avoid a bitter taste.
- Reserve pasta water is key for adjusting sauce consistency and helping it adhere to the pasta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 410 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
