Description
This Creamy Chicken Florentine Pasta is a deliciously comforting dish featuring tender chicken strips coated in aromatic spices, tossed with linguine pasta in a rich and creamy sauce made from garlic, white wine, Dijon mustard, and fresh spinach. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight dinner that combines savory flavors with a hint of lemon for brightness, finished with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 pound (453 g) chicken tenders, or chicken breasts cut into 1-inch strips
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Pasta
- 8 oz (227 g) linguine pasta, or other shape as desired
Sauce
- 1 small onion, diced (about ½ cup diced)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1½ cups (300 g) chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup (75 g) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more or less to taste
- 6 oz baby spinach, coarsely chopped
To Serve
- Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Pat the chicken tenders dry on a plate. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. Evenly coat the chicken pieces with half of this spice mix, flip, and coat the other side with the remaining half.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter is melted and sizzling. Arrange chicken tenders in a single layer in the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until browned, then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes until fully cooked through (internal temperature 160°F). Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board and slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine pasta and cook for approximately 9 minutes, which is 1 minute less than the package instructions. This allows the pasta to finish cooking later in the sauce, absorbing more flavor.
- Create Sauce Base: Return the skillet used for cooking chicken to medium heat. If the skillet is dry, add a splash of olive oil or butter. Sauté the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add finely chopped garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Roux and Deglaze: Sprinkle all-purpose flour into the skillet and stir constantly until no dry bits remain, forming a roux. Pour in white wine, whisking continuously until mostly evaporated. Gradually add chicken broth in small amounts, whisking continuously to keep the sauce smooth. Stir in Dijon mustard to incorporate.
- Thicken Sauce: Continue whisking the sauce over medium heat until it gently bubbles and thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Add lemon juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting seasoning as desired.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the linguine using a slotted spoon or colander, reserving some pasta water for later adjustments. Add the pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce. Top with baby spinach and gently fold everything together. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce thickens further. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen.
- Add Chicken: Fold the sliced chicken into the pasta and sauce mixture, stirring gently until the chicken is warmed through.
- Serve: Plate the creamy chicken Florentine pasta and generously sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately to enjoy the fullest flavor and best texture.
Notes
- Use chicken breasts or tenders depending on your preference, but tenders cook faster and remain more tender.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining to adjust sauce consistency if needed.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your spice tolerance.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream and use a dairy-free butter alternative.
- White wine can be omitted or replaced with additional chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Ensure chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F for safety.
- To keep spinach vibrant and fresh, add it just before the final stage of cooking.
