Description
This Creamy Chicken Florentine Pasta is a rich and comforting dish featuring tender chicken, sautéed spinach, and a luscious creamy sauce made with white wine, chicken broth, and Dijon mustard. Linguine pasta is cooked to perfection and simmered in the sauce, making this recipe a perfect weeknight meal that’s bursting with flavor and simplicity.
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
Cooking Fats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
Pasta
- 8 oz / 227 g linguine pasta, or other shape as desired
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust 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, to taste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 oz baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Topping
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Pat the chicken tenders dry on a plate. In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Evenly coat the chicken strips by sprinkling half of the spice mix, flipping the pieces, and sprinkling the remaining half.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter melts and begins to sizzle, add the chicken strips in a single layer. Cook them for 4-5 minutes until browned on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 160°F. Transfer 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 and cook for approximately 9 minutes (1 minute less than the package instructions) so the pasta finishes cooking later in the sauce.
- Create Sauce Base: Return the skillet used to cook chicken to medium heat. Add a splash of olive oil or butter if the skillet is dry. Sauté the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Roux and Deglaze: Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed onion and garlic, stirring continuously until no dry flour remains. Pour in the white wine, whisking until it is mostly evaporated. Gradually add the chicken broth in small amounts, whisking continuously to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the Dijon mustard.
- Thicken Sauce: Continue whisking the sauce over medium heat until it gently bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste, adjusting the seasoning as needed.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta using a slotted spoon or colander, reserving some pasta water. Add the pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce. Top with the chopped baby spinach and gently fold to combine. Allow the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce thickens. If the sauce is too thick, stir in reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Add Chicken: Fold the sliced chicken pieces into the pasta and sauce mixture, stirring until the chicken is warmed through.
- Serve: Plate the creamy chicken Florentine pasta and generously sprinkle shaved Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately to enjoy the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Use chicken tenders or thinly sliced chicken breasts for quicker cooking and tenderness.
- Cooking the pasta slightly under al dente allows it to absorb more sauce flavor while finishing in the skillet.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your preferred spice level.
- If white wine is unavailable, use additional chicken broth and a splash of lemon juice as a substitute.
- Reserve some pasta water to adjust sauce consistency if it becomes too thick.
- Parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty finish—feel free to add more or less as desired.
- This dish pairs well with a simple green salad or garlic bread for a complete meal.
