Chicken · Sausage · Pasta
Chicken, Sausage, Zucchini & Spinach Pasta
A hearty tomato-based pasta with chicken, sausage, zucchini, spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Yield
- Serves 4–6
From Rudy’s notebook
recipes.rudyr.com/recipes/chicken-sausage-zucchini-and-spinach-pasta
Ingredients
Serves 4–6
- 1 lbchicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 12–14 ozsausage, sliced
- 12–16 ozpasta
- 1 mediumzucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 2–3 cupsfresh spinach
- 2 cupsmarinara sauce
- 1–2 tbsptomato paste
- 1/2 cuptomato sauce, as needed
- 1–1 1/2 cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4–1/2 cupgrated Parmesan cheese
- 1–2 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspItalian seasoning
- 1/2 tspgarlic powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Optional: crushed red pepper flakes
- Optional: splash of pasta water if the sauce needs thinning
Method
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Brown the sausage. Add the sliced sausage to the same skillet and cook until browned around the edges.
Cook the zucchini. Add the zucchini and sauté for about 3–4 minutes, just until slightly tender. Avoid overcooking so it keeps some texture.
Time: 3–4 minutesBuild the tomato sauce. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 30–60 seconds. Add the marinara sauce. If you want more sauce or a thinner consistency, stir in some tomato sauce or reserved pasta water.
Time: 30–60 secondsCombine everything. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the cooked pasta and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Add the spinach. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted.
Time: 1–2 minutesMake it cheesy. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in about half of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top, cover for 2–3 minutes, and let it melt.
Time: 2–3 minutesFinish and serve. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning. Top with extra Parmesan and optional red pepper flakes.
Quick One-Page Cooking Version
Cook pasta → brown chicken → brown sausage → sauté zucchini → add tomato paste + marinara → return chicken → toss with pasta → wilt spinach → add mozzarella + Parmesan → cover until melted.
Cook’s notes
- For this dish, zucchini + spinach is the best pairing. The zucchini adds texture while the spinach blends into the sauce without making the pasta too vegetable-heavy.
- Use mozzarella for the creamy, stretchy melt and Parmesan for salty, savory flavor. Using both gives the best result.
Take it with you
Kept in Rudy’s notebook.