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Ricotta and Spinach Pasta with Chicken close up

Ricotta and Spinach Pasta with Chicken

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This Ricotta and Spinach Pasta with Chicken is creamy, cheesy comfort food that comes together with ease!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword 30 Minute Meal, Creamy Pasta, Linguine, Weeknight Dinners, Weight Watchers, WW Pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 (1 rounded cup) servings
Calories 354
Author Emily Bites

Ingredients

  • 8 oz dry linguine (use whole wheat linguine if following the WW Purple plan)
  • 1 lb raw boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized chunks
  • ¾ teaspoon salt divided
  • ¼ + 1/8 teaspoon black pepper divided
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 12 oz fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup fat free half-and-half
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup fat free ricotta
  • 1 oz Parmesan cheese finely shredded (I use a box grater)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Cook the linguine according to package instructions and drain.
  • While waiting for the water to boil, season the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, and the ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder. Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil into a large sauté pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and browned, 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken to a side plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the sauté pan and bring over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant and starting to turn golden. Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, stirring until it wilts and adding more until it’s all wilted (about 4 minutes). Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir.
  • Add the half-and-half to the pan and increase to medium heat to bring to a simmer. Cook for another two minutes until the cream thickens slightly. Stir in the nutmeg, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the cooked and drained pasta into the sauté pan and stir together with the spinach and sauce.
  • Remove the pan from heat and stir in the ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the reserved chicken and stir to combine.

Notes

To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
WW Points per (1 rounded cup) serving: 8 (Points calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per (1 rounded cup) serving:
354 calories, 38 g carbs, 6 g sugars, 9 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 30 g protein, 3 g fiber, 250 mg sodium (from myfitnesspal.com)
MYWW SMARTPOINTS PER (1 rounded cup) SERVING: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Green: 8 SmartPoints/ Blue: 7 SmartPoints/ Purple: 3 SmartPoints
Weight Watchers Points Plus:
9 per (1 rounded cup) serving (PP calculated using a Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition info below)
Adapted from the NY Times

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal