Creamy Spinach & Chicken Pasta

Recipe by Emelia Ruddell, University of Otago Nutrition Student 

As the colder days set in, this is the perfect meal - it can be made quickly and is comforting. 

This meal contains a significant amount of iron, providing 28% of the daily requirement for women (aged 19-50 years, 18mg) and 63% for men (aged 19-50 years, 8mg). Enjoy!

Dietary Adjustments

This meal can be customised to accommodate various dietary preferences, such as vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. You can opt for gluten-free pasta (pulse pasta is protein-packed!) and replace the cream with any plant-based milk along with dairy-free parmesan cheese. Additionally, substituting tofu for chicken not only caters to vegan preferences but also boosts the iron intake by an additional 1mg!

Ingredients 

Serves 4

Pasta

• 2 Cups Pasta

Chicken

• 2 Chicken Breasts (diced)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

White Sauce

• 1 White Onion (diced)
• 2 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 cup Cream 
• 2/3 cup Chicken Stock (liquid)
• 4 cup Fresh Spinach (torn)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan (grated)

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, pour in pasta, cook until al dente and drain (saving some of the water for later).
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a deep dish pan on medium heat.
3. Place chicken in the pan, and cook until cooked through and golden.
4. Remove chicken from pan.
5. In the same pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft.
6. Pour cream and chicken stock into the onion pan.
7. Simmer until thickened.
8. Return chicken to the pan, add spinach, and stir.
9. Add some of the pasta water. Leave to simmer.
10. Once the sauce has reached the desired thickness, add the pasta and parmesan, then stir to coat the pasta.
11. Serve topped with more parmesan and enjoy.

Nutritional Information 

1 serving

• Energy 2851kJ
• Protein 49g
• Total fat 32g
• Saturated fat 11.6g
• Carbohydrates 46g
• Dietary fibre 16.5g 
• Iron 5mg