Chicken Ricotta Pasta with Spinach

This Chicken Ricotta Pasta is creamy, comforting, and easy — tender roasted chicken over pasta with a light ricotta and spinach sauce.

If you’re looking for a comforting pasta dinner that feels rich and satisfying without being overly heavy, this Chicken Ricotta Pasta is a perfect choice. The chicken is simply marinated with garlic and oregano, then roasted in the oven until juicy and flavorful. While the chicken cooks, a creamy, luscious sauce comes together quickly on the stovetop. Fresh spinach is sautéed with garlic and olive oil until just wilted, then ricotta cheese and Parmesan are stirred in to create a smooth, velvety sauce that coats every bite of pasta.

What makes this dish so great for busy families is its balance of flavor, comfort, and simplicity. The sauce feels indulgent thanks to the creamy ricotta, but it stays light and fresh thanks to the spinach and simple ingredients. Topped with slices of the roasted, seasoned chicken, it becomes a hearty and satisfying meal that’s perfect for weeknights but delicious enough to serve guests. It’s cozy, cheesy, and packed with flavor — the kind of pasta dinner everyone looks forward to.

Do you meal plan your dinners?  It makes weeknights so much easier!  Check out my Meal Planning Theme Night Recipes and then add this one to your Pasta Sundays!

Chicken Ricotta Pasta for Busy Weeknights

This Chicken Ricotta Pasta recipe is so simple! Instead of having to watch the chicken cooking in a pan, it simply bakes in the oven. Instead of having to make a roux with flour butter, milk, etc., you just add rich and creamy ricotta! It’s a no fuss dinner that is sure to become a go-to in your kitchen. Here’s a list of even more reasons to love this one!

• Simple ingredients that are easy to find.
• Light but creamy sauce thanks to ricotta and Parmesan.
• Protein-packed with juicy roasted chicken.
• Great weeknight dinner that feels a little special.
• Kid-friendly flavors — creamy pasta and tender chicken.
• Easy to customize with extra veggies or different pasta shapes.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken Breast Cutlets – Thin Chicken breast cutlets cook up fast in the oven and slice perfectly into strips that lay on top of the pasta or can be easily mixed in. You can also use whole or boneless skinless chicken breasts that you slice in half to create your own thinner cutlets. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This is part of the marinade and therefore, part of the flavor of the seasoned chicken, so I recommend good olive oil. But you can substitute with avocado oil or another neutral flavored vegetable oil.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Dried Oregano – Oregano is such a perfect herb to add lots of flavor. You can substitute dried Italian seasoning or dried marjoram or even dried rosemary or thyme.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper

Pasta Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil – this is for sauteing the spinach, so you can use extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil. You can also use butter or just cooking spray.
• Fresh Baby Spinach leaves – Fresh baby spinach melts down and mixes in wonderfully with the pasta. You can also use frozen spinach or substitutes in kale leaves. Or feel free to swap with any other vegetable cut into bite-size pieces and cooked to fork-tender before adding the sauce ingredients.
• Garlic, minced or grated – again, fresh will add the best flavor, but you can substitute with dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Ricotta Cheese, whole milk – I used whole milk ricotta which is the creamiest and has the most flavor. However, you can use a lower fat ricotta as well. If you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute if you can pulse it in a food processor to get a more creamy texture.
• Half and Half – I wanted to make this a bit lighter, so I went with half and half instead of heavy cream. You can also use regular milk or even coconut milk.
• Chicken Broth – You can also use vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Parmesan Cheese, grated – Parmesan adds more depth, salty, and nutty flavor to the sauce. Shredded is fine too. If you don’t have parmesan cheese, you can substitute with shredded or grated pecorino romano cheeses, manchego cheese, cotija, gruyere, or other hard salty cheese. You can also leave it out altogether.
• Seasonings: Dried Oregano (or Italian seasoning), salt, and black pepper.
• Uncooked Pasta – I love how the Cavatappi holds the sauce inside and around it. But just about any pasta cut will work. Penne, rigatoni, fettuccine, or spaghetti all work well with this creamy sauce.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment for Chicken Ricotta Pasta

No fancy equipment needed, just the basics.

• A large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) to cook the chicken in the oven.
• Medium-large pot to cook the pasta.
• Large skillet/frying pan for making the sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. 
• Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

In a storage bag or storage container, add the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together, then add the raw chicken breasts. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to thin the marinade out. You can marinade the chicken in the sauce for 10 minutes up to overnight.

Cooking Steps

Preheat oven to 400°F.

While the chicken is baking, you can cook the pasta and make the sauce.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta and add it back to the pot while you finish the sauce.

While the pasta cooks. Preheat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat.

Add the olive oil, spinach, and garlic. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes just to slightly wilt the spinach.

Add the broth, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine the sauce.

Stir in the half and half. Add the pasta to the sauce (or sauce to the pasta) and toss to combine.

Stir in ¼ cup or more of the reserved pasta water until you get your desired consistency.

Slice the chicken into strips and add it to the pasta.

Transfer to a serving platter or plates. Enjoy!

Variations on Chicken Ricotta Pasta

This is a very versatile recipe that you can change up in so many ways. Here just a few ideas. Please share in the comments if you have another fun way to mix things up.

• Use Rotisserie Chicken: Skip roasting and use shredded rotisserie chicken for an even faster dinner.
• Add Mushrooms: Sauté sliced mushrooms with the spinach for deeper flavor.
• Lemon Ricotta Version: Add lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the sauce.
• Extra Veggies: Add zucchini, peas, or roasted broccoli.
• Spicy Kick: Sprinkle red pepper flakes into the sauce.

Chicken Ricotta Pasta Recipe FAQs

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Chicken Ricotta Pasta Recipe

Carrie Tyler

Chicken Ricotta Pasta with juicy garlic-oregano roasted chicken, fresh spinach sautéed with garlic and olive oil, and a creamy ricotta-Parmesan sauce. A cozy, satisfying pasta dinner that’s rich, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

Chicken

• 1 pound Chicken Cutlets or Chicken breasts, skinless boneless
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Pasta

• 2 teaspoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 ounces Fresh Baby Spinach leaves (about 4 cups)
• 1 clove Garlic, minced or grated (1 teaspoon)
• 16 oz Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
• ¼ cup Half and Half (or cream or milk)
• ½ cup Chicken Broth
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon Salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 12 ounces Uncooked Pasta (Cavatappi, Rigatoni, or your favorite)

Instructions

 

Prep-Ahead Steps

• In a storage bag or storage container, add the olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together, then add the raw chicken breasts. Add a tablespoon of water if needed to thin the marinade out. You can marinade the chicken in the sauce for 10 minutes up to overnight. You can also freeze the chicken in marinade at this point and use it up to 4 months later!

Cooking Steps

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer the marinated chicken breasts to a sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉ or the chicken feels firm with a little give. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and then add the pasta to the boiling water and stir so they do not stick together. Bring back to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until al dente. Save 1 cup of pasta water, drain the pasta and add it back to the pot and cover while you finish the sauce.
• While the pasta cooks. Preheat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, spinach, and garlic. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes just to slightly wilt the spinach.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the broth, the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine the sauce. Finally stir in the half and half. Add the pasta to the sauce (or sauce to the pasta) and toss to combine. Stir in ¼ cup or more of the reserved pasta water until you get your desired consistency.
• Slice the chicken into strips and add it to the pasta. Transfer to a serving platter or plates. Enjoy!

Keyword alfredo, chicken, chicken breast, pasta