Saucy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Few things are as tasty as a big bowl of pasta, and this easy Chicken & Spinach Pasta is loaded with flavor! Chicken sausage, baby spinach, olives, and a touch of feta combine to create a pasta dish that’s as hearty as it is delicious!
This is a terrific pasta recipe, and when you make it with chicken and apple sausage, you’re getting flavor in every bite. So super easy to make and with great texture, you can use whole wheat pasta to make this already lower-in-fat dish even healthier.
Saucy Chicken & Spinach Pasta
I love making this dish in my Smart Skillet, and it’s ready in hardly any time! Plus, it’s a one-dish meal that can be served on its own or with tasty side dishes. But the good news is you can still make this Chicken Spinach Pasta on the stovetop!
What’s A Smart Skillet?
Greenpan Smart Skillets are my new favorite kitchen appliance. This handy skillet sits on my countertop and can cook anything. It has a ceramic non-stick coating, and it can easily make soups, stews, rice, or sear a steak for dinner. Plus, the handy smart features make cooking in it so easy! Simple to clean and a breeze to use, this skillet does all the hard work with a touch of a button.
Why I love this recipe
- This recipe is so quick and easy, and delicious! It has simmered-all-day-flavor but is ready in under 30 minutes.
- With lean chicken sausage, spinach, and whole wheat pasta, it’s loaded with goodness!
- It makes a pretty good-sized batch, so enjoy any leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
Gather these ingredients
- Olive oil
- Chicken sausage – I love using precooked chicken and apple sausage.
- Onion – Yellow or white cooking onions.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic gives this dish the most flavor.
- Tomato sauce
- Baby spinach – Lightly packed.
- Whole wheat pasta – I like Delallo’s rotini pasta. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water.
- Kalamata olives – Chopped.
- Feta cheese – Crumbled; save some for the topping.
- Basil – Fresh basil; chopped for the garnish.
How to make the tastiest Chicken & Spinach Pasta
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta and drain it, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Turn the Smart Skillet to saute, 400-F. Heat the oil.
- Slice the sausage into rounds and add it to the skillet along with the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions soften, then turn the Smart Skillet down to 350-F.
- Add the tomato sauce, spinach, cooked and drained pasta, and chopped olives. Cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Stir in the feta, adjust the seasoning, and serve with additional feta and basil on top.
How to make Chicken & Spinach Pasta on the stovetop
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta and drain it, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage rounds, onions, and garlic. Saute until the onions start to soften.
- Reduce the heat and add the tomato sauce, spinach, and cooked and drained pasta. Stir in the chopped olives and cook until the spinach wilts.
- Stir in the feta, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with the reserved feta and basil.
Tips & substitutions
- To save some time before serving, you can boil the pasta ahead of time, then drain it and refrigerate it until ready to finish the dish. Just add a few minutes of heating time to ensure the pasta is reheated.
- Whole wheat pasta is my favorite, but you can use any kind of pasta – any shape, too!
- If your pasta sauce seems thick, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce.
- Save some of the feta to sprinkle on top – it’s so pretty!
- You can remove the Smart Skillet and serve it in the insert right on the table!
Serving Suggestions
This is a one-dish meal, and sometimes I serve it that way. Other times, I’ll pair this Chicken & Spinach Pasta recipe with tasty sides like Garlic Cheese Bread, a crisp salad, or a bowl of fruit salad.
Storage
Store any leftover Chicken & Spinach Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This chicken pasta recipe will also freeze nicely; package portions in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to a month.
Check out these awesome pasta recipes while you’re here
- Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pasta Bake
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- 4 Cheese Meatball Casserole
- Easy One Pot Spaghetti
Get the Recipe:
Saucy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large links cooked chicken sausage (12 ounces, sliced into rounds)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 6 cups lightly packed baby spinach, about 4 ounces
- 1 16 oz pkg whole-wheat rotini pasta, we use Delallo, cooked (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water)
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (reserve some for topping)
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil, optional for topping
Instructions
Make in the smart skillet:
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta and drain it, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- While the pasta is cooking, turn smart skillet to saute (400) and heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage rounds, onion, and garlic; saute and stir for 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the smart skillet down to 350. Pour in the tomato sauce, add in the spinach, cooked pasta, and chopped olives; cook for 5 minutes and stir, until the spinach is wilted. TIP: If the pasta seems sticky, add in 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time of the pasta water, if necessary.
- Stir in the feta, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with the reserved feta and basil. Serve! [TIP: Bring the smart skillet directly to the table!]
Make on the stovetop:
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the pasta and drain it, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage rounds, onions, and garlic. Saute until the onions start to soften.
- Reduce the heat and add the tomato sauce, spinach, and cooked and drained pasta. Stir in the chopped olives and cook until the spinach wilts. TIP: If the pasta seems sticky, add in 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time of the pasta water, if necessary.
- Stir in the feta, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with the reserved feta and basil.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
