Chicken Pasta Recipe

The ingredients :

3 chicken breasts halved lengthwise

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided

1 tsp each: salt, black pepper, dry thyme, garlic powder, onion powder 

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp cayenne powder

4 tbsp butter divided

2 tbsp neutral oil

1 yellow onion peeled and sliced into half-moons

1 pound cherry tomatoes

6 cloves garlic peeled and minced

1 tsp dry thyme

½ tsp crushed red pepper

2 cups water or chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

5 oz baby spinach

½ lemon juiced

⅓ cup fresh parsley, minced

16 ounces penne pasta

instructions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.

Pat chicken dry and set  aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup flour along with the salt, pepper, dry thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne powder, and stir. Dredge chicken in the flour and shake off excess.

Add the oil to a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tbsp butter. Once the butter is frothy, cook the chicken in batches 5 mins per side. Transfer to a plate. They don’t need to be fully cooked!

Turn heat on the pot back to medium-high. Add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and salt and pepper. Add two more tbsp of butter. Add minced garlic, dry thyme, and crushed red pepper.

Stir in 2 tbsp flour and cook it into the tomatoes for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in half of the water. Add remaining water and whisk until smooth. 

Pour in heavy cream. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Taste and season. Turn off the heat.

Stir the spinach into the sauce. Place the chicken on top and bake for 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF.

Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Add the lemon juice and cooked pasta  to the sauce and toss to coat. If needed, add the pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce. Stir in the parsley and season to taste. 

Divide the pasta between shallow bowls and place a chicken breast on top. Garnish with more parsley.

Enjoy!!