Chicken Florentine Pasta

I’m sure everyone of you can vouch for the fact that it has been a crazy last couple of months. From holidays, to the new year, to moving, and traveling for work…I’m pooped! In all honesty, either I’ve cooked a recipe that’s already on here, or one that I feel isn’t worth posting. Confession: During the last 2 weeks before our move, I did not cook a single new recipe, if I even cooked at all. Try making chicken Parmesan in a half packed kitchen! It ain’t happening. And it didn’t.

As you know, my motto is that “meals and life should be fun, easy, and positively delicious”. Now that we’ve settled down in our new apartment, it is easy to think of more meals that encompass this idea. I realized that I haven’t thought much outside of the box for a while.  You know what I’m talking about? You have a list of recipes that are your “Go-To” for weekday dinners. (Hopefully some of those recipes were found on this website!)  But every now and then, you realize that you’re in a culinary funk and nothing but internet recipe searches, or a new experience will pry you out of it. So here’s one for you…Chicken Florentine Pasta!

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes   Serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1 lb Rigatoni pasta (penne will do)
1 pint grape tomatoes (sliced in halves, lengthwise)
1 container baby spinach
2 large cloves garlic (pressed)
1 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
3/4 cup white wine (dry)
3/4 cup chicken broth
Parmesan cheese (shaved)
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs butter
salt
pepper

Steps
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta following the directions on the box. Strain out the water and set aside in a bowl.
2. Cut chicken into 1.5 – 2 inch pieces. Drizzle them with 1 tbs olive oil. Sprinkle salt and fresh cracked pepper, and mix with a spoon or hands. Sautée chicken in a deep large pan until completely cooked and slightly golden brown on the sides. Set aside on a plate.
3. In the same pan, sautée the rest of the olive oil, butter, garlic over medium heat for a few minutes and add the wine and broth.  Cook for about five minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, spinach and chicken and cook for about a minute or two. (If you cook the tomato and spinach too long, they will become wilted)
5. Toss in the cooked pasta along with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese shavings.
6. Serve hot with additional cheese shavings.