Chicken Florentine Pasta
Chicken Florentine Pasta is a tasty pasta dish that is deliciously simple. It's a family favorite weeknight dish that's impressive enough to share with friends.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- olive oil, for cooking
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth, regular strength
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves, fresh
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pesto, prepared, store-bought or homemade
- ⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add generously-salted water and bring to a boil. Cook penne until al dente. Drain, but do not rinse. Toss penne with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking. Keep warm.
- Place cling wrap over each piece of chicken on a cutting board. Pound each piece evenly thin, about 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle each chicken piece with a light, even layer of kosher salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add enough olive oil to coat bottom of a large skillet. Heat oil on medium-high until hot. Brown 2 chicken breasts on both sides until chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.* Repeat with remaining pieces. Slice chicken breasts into strips and keep warm.
- Add chopped onion and garlic into a large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Boil vigorously until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Turn heat to low. Add cream and pesto, stirring until combined and heated through, about 1 minute. Taste and add more kosher salt and black pepper as desired.
- Add spinach and stir over low heat, just until spinach begins wilting. Remove from heat.
- Toss cooked pasta with the spinach/pesto mixture to coat. If desired, let sit for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken; sauce will thicken quite a bit as it sits.
- Stir in fresh parmesan, reserving some for garnish. Add chicken on top and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you'd like, let finished pasta rest
- Feel free to use any other shape of pasta in place of penne. Great substitutes include linguine, fettuccine, or bowtie pasta.
- For depth of flavor, sub 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth for a crisp, dry white wine like sauvignon blanc.
- Actual cook time of chicken depends on how cold and thick the pieces of chicken are to start with. Cook just until browned yet not over-cooked.
- Reduce the broth properly before adding cream. This step concentrates flavor and prevents a watery sauce.
- Reheat leftovers gently with a splash of broth or cream to bring back desired consistency.
- This recipe is part of our Healthy Italian Recipes Collection.
- We love serving this pasta with some Pull-Apart Rolls or French Bread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 791mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3555IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 2mg