Servings
Font
Back
4.7 from 39 votes

Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Chicken and Spinach

This easy Lemon Ricotta Pasta recipe has the most flavorful Parmesan sauce and is loaded with perfectly seared chicken and delicious fresh spinach! Plus, it's ready in 30 minutes flat!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 705 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons oil vegetable, canola, olive, or peanut oil are all fine!
  • 1 boneless/skinless chicken breast
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound Spaghetti
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1 + 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups part skim ricotta
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan plus more to garnish
  • 5 oz. fresh spinach

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserve 1 cup of pasta water prior to draining. Set aside.
  2. As the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Butterfly the chicken breast and cut the seam to create 2 thinner slices, each about an inch thick. Season each side with desired amounts of salt and pepper.
  4. Sear the chicken in the heated skillet for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Refrain from moving the chicken around as it sizzles, it will hinder the nice golden sear color. If the pan gets too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Once each side is a nice, golden brown and the middle is cooked, set the chicken aside. Don’t cut into it yet.
  5. Reduce the heat of the skillet to medium low. Add half of the reserved water, lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta, Parmesan, and drained pasta. Toss evenly to coat. Add additional reserved water as needed to obtain desired consistency.
  6. Slice the chicken into strips and top the pasta with it. Finally, toss in the spinach and heat until it’s just wilted.
  7. Garnish with additional Parmesan if desired, and serve!

Notes

  • Although this recipe feeds 4, the portion sizes are fairly large. This could also serve 5 people. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 705kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 91g (30%) Protein 37g (74%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Cholesterol 57mg (19%) Sodium 374mg (16%) Potassium 686mg (20%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 3785IU (76%) Vitamin C 13.2mg (15%) Calcium 448mg (45%) Iron 3.1mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 705

% Daily Value*

Calories 705kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 91g 30%
Protein 37g 74%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 374mg 16%
Potassium 686mg 15%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 3785IU 76%
Vitamin C 13.2mg 15%
Calcium 448mg 45%
Iron 3.1mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.