Chicken Alfredo is an easy-to-make, go-to meal that most cooks should learn how to make. This Chicken and Spinach Alfredo is a nice twist on your traditional chicken alfredo.
Chicken Alfredo
4
15
20
minutesIngredients
- For the Pasta:
3 cups pasta of your choice, cooked according to package instructions (reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water)
For the Chicken:2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
Zest of 1 small lemon
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste
- For the Alfredo Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup starchy pasta water
2 cups raw spinach
Directions
- For the Chicken:
- Season chicken with lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Sear seasoned chicken for 6-7 minutes per side. Or, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- For the Alfredo Sauce:
- In the same skillet, over medium heat, whisk together unsalted butter, flour, heavy cream, cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and starchy pasta water.
- Add spinach and toss so it can wilt.
- Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the chicken in the sauce.
- Serve chicken and spinach sauce over cooked pasta. Enjoy!
Just by reading the ingredients list for this recipe, it might look overwhelming. However, I can almost guarantee you that you have a lot of these ingredients on hand already. This Chicken and Spinach Alfredo is broken up into three components. They are the pasta, the chicken, and the alfredo sauce. The ingredients that you will need to make the pasta and chicken are 3 cups of cooked pasta of your choice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts that are sliced in half lengthwise, the zest of 1 small lemon, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
To make the alfredo sauce you need 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, a ½ teaspoon of onion powder, salt, pepper, a ¼ cup of starchy pasta water, and 2 cups of raw spinach.These ingredients all come together to form such a delicious dish. Once you make it and try a bite, it might just become your new go-to weeknight meal.
What’s great about this Chicken and Spinach Alfredo is the fact that it can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. Reheating this dish is easy. The flavors will be even stronger since they have gotten time to marinate into the chicken and the sauce.
Now, the alfredo sauce here is homemade. So, it does take a little bit of love to make it. However, if you have a favorite jar of Alfredo sauce, then feel free to use that. Homemade alfredo sauce in my opinion is just so much better.
If you are choosing to go the homemade route, then heavy cream is HEAVILYrecommended. However, if you cannot tolerate the dairy products, then swap it out for non-dairy milk and also be sure to get rid of the butter and the parmesan cheese. Not using heavy cream will change up the texture of course and the flavors slightly. However, the seasonings help to add a lot of flavor to this dish.
The directions say to make the sauce and spinach in the same pan that you use to cook the chicken. The reason why you want to make the sauce in the same skillet they make the chicken is because it gives the sauce a well-rounded flavor and a nice color. For serving purposes, feel free to serve this with some garlic bread, a baguette, or a side salad. You want the Chicken and Spinach Alfredo to be the true star here.
Hopefully, you enjoy this easy and flavorful dish and keep it on your menu to make for your family and friends. It is sure to impress and it can even be an easy dish to make for your weekly meal prep! Have fun and enjoy this Chicken and Spinach Alfredo to the fullest!