Easiest Chicken and Sausage Pasta with spinach in a light cream sauce. This 30 minute meal is the perfect family-friendly meal with flavors to please even the picky eaters!
Serve this up with my favorite simple tossed green salad or Italian side salad. And when you’re done, be sure to try more of my easy skillet meals like this one pan shrimp and asparagus!
Ohhhhh you guys. This is a serious contender for one of my top five favorite 30 minute meals. Which, let’s be real, is a big deal considering 30 minute meals are kind of my specialty. So when I tell you that when I made this dish, knowing full well it had all the makings of a great, even an awesome dish…it still exceeded my expectations when I took that first bite.
Annnnd the second. And the third. And the 18th. And by the end of the meal I was wishing I had a second stomach to go for round two and three. Maybe just a midnight snack? Or breakfast? Yes, breakfast then. It’s completely acceptable to serve up chicken and sausage pasta leftovers at 8am right…?
Of course it is. You do you honey.
How Do You Make Chicken and Sausage Pasta?
Combine chicken, sausage, and spinach in a 2-inch deep skillet along with some garlic and a hearty drizzle of olive oil. Saute over medium-high heat til the chicken is cooked through and sausage begins to brown around the edges. Add in a little heavy cream, or fat free half and half for a lighter option, a couple tablespoons of parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir, taste, salt and pepper more if needed, then serve and devour.
What Sides Go Well with Sausage and Chicken?
- an easy tossed green side salad
- lor a tossed Italian green salad
- 30 minute garlic knots will never steer you wrong
- quick and creamy cucumber salad
- caprese salad
How Do I Cook Sausage?
Sausage is so versatile! You can cook it in a pan on the stove, bake it on a sheet pan or in a casserole dish, grill it, or even put it in a foil packet. In my opinion, the best way to cook sausage is sliced, in a cast iron skillet. So much flavor comes from browning the sausage in a cast iron skillet and it’s so quick!
Can I Reheat Chicken and Sausage Pasta?
Absolutely! You can microwave it of course, but to maintain flavor and moisture, I love to throw it back in a skillet on the stove with a tablespoon of butter and a splash of chicken stock, whole milk, or half and half to make it nice and creamy again. Revives the flavors in a just a few minutes stirred over medium-high heat.
More Pasta Recipes
- Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage
- Cajun Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Bacon
- Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
Chicken and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts - thinly sliced into strips
- 1 pound kielbasa sausage - sliced into rounds
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper - or a pinch of ground pepper
- 8 ounces penne pasta - cooked and drained
- ½ cup heavy cream - or half and half for a lighter option
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese - optional
Instructions
- Drizzle a large, 2-inch deep skillet with olive oil.
- Add chicken, sausage, spinach, and garlic to the pan.
- Saute over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sausage starts to brown around the edges.
- Add cream and stir 1-2 minutes til thickened. Stir in pasta.
- Season with salt, pepper, and parmesan and stir well.
- Garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh herbs if desired and serve.
Made this once before and my husband loved it! Question though: I made a pasta dish yesterday. Do you think I could perhaps do this with rice instead to switch it up? I’m just learning to cook, so not sure if it would work well. Please help!
The hard part is that rice will change the amount of liquid needed and cook time!
As advertised! Quick,easy and delicious!
I added some sautéed zucchini and asparagus bites too! Yum.
Sounds fabulous!!
This was a hit with the whole family. We doubled the cream and cheese – cause that is a family preference and it turned out perfect. I would probably add 2 more cups of spinach next time. But this is one I will make again.
Do you think this could be made with a cashew cream (cashews soaked in water and then blended into a cream) instead of heavy cream for a dairy free option?
Honestly, I have no idea. I have never tried using that as a sub in a recipe. Please share your input if you give it a try though!