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Parmesan Chicken Ziti with Artichokes & Spinach

A one pot weeknight meal. Shredded chicken, artichokes and spinach are cooked in a Parmesan sauce. Rotisserie chicken makes this even quicker to make. From stove to table in under 40 minutes.

Course Chicken, Entree, Pasta
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author Recipe Thief

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 lb uncooked ziti pasta
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
  • 14 oz Progresso™ artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped
  • 6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese ~1 ½ cups
  • 2 medium lemons, juiced, ~⅔ cup
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 cups baby spinach 5 oz package
  • ½ tsp pepper if desired

Instructions

  1. Heat water, 1 can evaporated milk, salt, garlic and pasta to simmering over medium heat. Simmer 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender.
  2. In medium bowl, beat remaining can of evaporated milk and cornstarch, stir in chicken and artichoke hearts. Add to mixture in Dutch oven, return to simmering and continue to simmer 1-3 minutes or until thickened and mixture coats back of a spoon.
  3. Remove from heat; stir in half of cheese and lemon juice. Stir until cheese melts, then add remaining cheese (reserving ¼ cup for serving if desired) and butter; stir again.
  4. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Serve with reserved cheese and pepper.

Recipe Notes

Instead of rotisserie chicken, I cook 2 chicken breasts myself, seasoned in the pot first. I remove the chicken to shred, leaving the seasoning that cooked to the bottom of the pot; I scrap the bottom of the pot once I add the water to loosen the seasoning and to mixture into the recipe. Look at the pasta box, based on the recommended cooking time, cook 1 minute less for the first step then continue in the recipe. If you cook the noodles the first step for 14 minutes, then keep following the cooking instructions the noodles become very soggy. The recipe cooks longer than you first realize after the initial step. I use one can of regular evaporated milk and one can of fat free evaporated milk, the sauce still came out creamy just not as thick. You can also use two cans of fat free evaporated milk, the sauce with just be thinner.