Chicken Ricotta Pasta Recipe
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.
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!
