Cheesy Chicken and Pasta
The sauce has Parmesan cheese and cream cheese in it to make it creamy and cheesy. The addition of lemon juice gives the sauce a very bright flavor while the pasta and chicken make it a hearty dinner.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Penne Pasta half a 16 oz box
- 2 thin boneless skinless chicken breast about 12 ozs
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 1 Tablespoon minced jarred garlic
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup pasta cooking water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the penne pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water, set aside.
- Sat and pepper both sides of the boneless skinless chicken breast, set aside
- Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a large saute pan or cast iron skillet. Heat to medium high heat. Place the boneless skinless chicken breast in the saute pan and cook until just done, (no longer pink inside). Remove from pan and thinly slice chicken breasts into strips.
- Using the same pan on medium to high heat, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic, red bell pepper and baby spinach to the pan, saute until spinach is wilted. Add the cooked pasta, the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, cream cheese ,Parmesan cheese and chicken strips to the pan. Toss to coat,cook until cheeses have melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.