This easy spring chicken pasta recipe with spinach and lemon is a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family, offering a delicious and nutritional dinner option. It’s designed for busy evenings when you want something flavorful and satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen.
Enjoy this vibrant lemon chicken pasta that comes together quickly for a truly satisfying meal. With fresh ingredients and straightforward steps, you can have a wholesome dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for any day of the week.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
Easy Spring Chicken Pasta with Spinach and Lemon
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This easy spring chicken pasta recipe with spinach and lemon is a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family, offering a delicious and nutritional dinner option. It’s designed for busy evenings when you want something flavorful and satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen. Enjoy this vibrant lemon chicken pasta that comes together quickly for a truly satisfying meal. With fresh ingredients and straightforward steps, you can have a wholesome dinner on the table in about 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for any day of the week.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Prepare the Chicken: Start by cutting the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch bite-sized pieces. Season the chicken generously with salt and black pepper. This ensures the chicken is flavorful from the inside out.
2. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta (penne, rotini, or farfalle work great) and cook according to package directions until al dente. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water – it’s a secret weapon for a silky sauce!
3. Saute the Aromatics: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until it softens and becomes translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
4. Cook the Chicken: Add the seasoned chicken pieces to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides and cooked through. It should no longer be pink in the center, typically taking 5-7 minutes.
5. Build the Sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and fresh lemon juice. Stir in the lemon zest and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – these bits add a ton of flavor.
6. Add Spinach and Pasta: Stir in the fresh spinach a handful at a time. It will wilt down quickly. Once all the spinach is incorporated and wilted, add the drained cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together to combine.
7. Finish with Cheese and Adjust Seasoning: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
Keywords: chicken, pasta, lemon, spinach, weeknight, easy, quick, dinner, family, spring
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This recipe is a true lifesaver for anyone balancing a busy schedule with the desire for home-cooked meals. It’s perfect for families, couples, or even individuals looking for a delicious and nutritious dinner that doesn’t require a culinary degree. You’ll love how quickly it comes together, making it an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner when time is short but you still want something more exciting than takeout. The combination of tender chicken, bright lemon, and fresh spinach creates a balanced flavor profile that’s both comforting and refreshing. It’s also a fantastic way to incorporate more greens into your diet without much fuss, and the simple ingredients mean it’s budget-friendly too. This dish is versatile enough to be served year-round, but its light and zesty notes truly shine in the spring.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients before you start cooking is the first step to a stress-free meal. This recipe uses common pantry staples and fresh produce that are easy to find at any grocery store. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity, relying on fresh flavors rather than a long list of exotic items.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 12 ounces pasta (such as penne, rotini, or farfalle)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
For simple substitutions, you can easily swap boneless, skinless chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer a slightly richer flavor. If fresh spinach isn’t available, a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) can work in a pinch, though fresh is always preferred for texture. Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian option, and you can omit the chicken entirely and add extra vegetables like cherry tomatoes or mushrooms for a meatless meal. Any short pasta shape will work well here, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand. For a dairy-free version, simply omit the Parmesan cheese or use a plant-based alternative.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
One of the best features of this recipe is its impressive speed. You can go from raw ingredients to a delicious, hot meal on the table in under an hour, making it perfect for those busy weeknights.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
These times are estimates and can vary slightly depending on your chopping speed and stove efficiency, but with a little focus, you’ll find this dish incredibly quick to prepare and cook.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Follow these straightforward steps to create your delicious spring chicken pasta. Each step is designed to be clear and easy to follow, even for beginner cooks.
- Prepare the Chicken: Start by cutting the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch bite-sized pieces. Season the chicken generously with salt and black pepper. This ensures the chicken is flavorful from the inside out.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta (penne, rotini, or farfalle work great) and cook according to package directions until al dente. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water – it’s a secret weapon for a silky sauce!
- Sauté the Aromatics: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook until it softens and becomes translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Cook the Chicken: Add the seasoned chicken pieces to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned on all sides and cooked through. It should no longer be pink in the center, typically taking 5-7 minutes.
- Build the Sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and fresh lemon juice. Stir in the lemon zest and dried oregano. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan – these bits add a ton of flavor.
- Add Spinach and Pasta: Stir in the fresh spinach a handful at a time. It will wilt down quickly. Once all the spinach is incorporated and wilted, add the drained cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together to combine.
- Finish with Cheese and Adjust Seasoning: Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This spring chicken pasta is wonderfully versatile, allowing for easy variations to suit different tastes or what you have on hand. For a kid-friendly twist, you might consider using smaller pasta shapes like mini shells or elbow macaroni, and perhaps reducing the amount of lemon zest if your children are sensitive to strong citrus flavors. Adding a handful of frozen peas or corn during the last few minutes of cooking the pasta can also make it more appealing to little ones and boost the vegetable content.
For a heartier meal, you could add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained) along with the spinach for an extra layer of savory flavor. A pinch of red pepper flakes can introduce a subtle heat if you enjoy a little spice. If you’re serving this for a party or buffet, it holds up well at room temperature for a short period, making it a great option. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil for an extra pop of color and freshness. As for serving, a simple side salad with a light vinaigrette or some crusty garlic bread would complement this pasta perfectly, making it a complete and satisfying meal.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even simple recipes can have common pitfalls, but knowing what to look out for can help you avoid them and ensure a perfect dish every time.
One frequent mistake is overcooking the chicken. Chicken breasts can dry out quickly, becoming tough and chewy. To avoid this, cut your chicken into uniform pieces so they cook evenly, and remove them from the heat as soon as they are no longer pink in the center. Don’t let them simmer in the sauce for too long after they’re cooked through.
Another common error is overcooking the pasta. Mushy pasta can ruin the texture of the entire dish. Always cook your pasta to al dente, which means it should still have a slight bite to it. It will continue to absorb some liquid from the sauce, so pulling it off the heat just before it’s perfectly soft is ideal.
Not seasoning adequately at each stage can lead to a bland dish. Remember to season the chicken before cooking, and taste the sauce before adding the pasta, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. The reserved pasta water is also crucial; forgetting to save it means you might end up with a sauce that’s too thick and doesn’t coat the pasta smoothly. If you forget, a splash of warm water or extra broth can help, but the starchy pasta water is superior for emulsifying the sauce.
Finally, overcrowding the pan when cooking the chicken can lead to steaming instead of browning. If you have a lot of chicken, cook it in batches to ensure each piece gets a nice sear, which adds depth of flavor to the dish.
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
This spring chicken pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored and reheated successfully with a few considerations to maintain its deliciousness.
To store leftovers, allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For reheating, the best method is to gently warm it on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a splash of chicken broth or water to help loosen the sauce and prevent it from drying out. Stir frequently until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions, but be mindful not to overheat, as this can make the chicken tough and the pasta mushy.
While you can’t fully make this dish ahead of time without some texture changes, you can do some prep work to speed
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
