Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
5 medium tomatoes, chopped in large cubes
1 cup cooked spinach
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
6 bacon strips, cooked, drained of fat, and chopped
1 1/3 cups half and half
1 1/3 cups shredded parmesan cheese
10 ounces penne pasta
|
Directions: |
Directions:In a large skillet, on high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken, and cook on one side on high for 1 minute. While it cooks, sprinkle the uncooked sides of the chicken with paprika and Italian seasoning. Flip the chicken over, and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken over again, and cook, covered, for several minutes until no longer pink in the centre. Remove chicken from the pan, and keep warm.
To the same pan (but without chicken), add chopped tomatoes, spinach, garlic, crushed red peppers, 1/3 of the chicken (sliced into small strips), and 1/2 the bacon. Mix everything.
Add half and half, and bring to boil. Only after it starts boiling, add grated parmesan cheese. Immediately reduce to simmer, and stir, while simmering, until the cheese melts and makes the sauce creamy, about 1 minute. Then immediately remove from heat. Season with more crushed red pepper and salt, if needed.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add pasta, and cook according to instructions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Add remaining bacon. Season with more salt if necessary. Slice the remaining 2/3 of chicken into thin strips. To serve, top the pasta with chicken strips and more grated parmesan cheese. |
This recipe for CHICKEN AND BACON PASTA WITH SPINACH AND TOMATOES IN GARLIC CREAM SAUCE is from