Sundried Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Chicken
An easy pasta dish that feels fancy with rich flavors, yet is easy and fast to pull together. Great for a crowd or a stay-at-home date night with a glass of wine. Kids love this one, too!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Roasted Chicken:
1 1/2 lb chicken tenderloins
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Sundried Tomato Sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 medium yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, diced
8 oz sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, undrained
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 lb spaghetti noodles (can sub for gluten free noodles)
3 cups fresh spinach
Parmesan, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a large stockpot 3/4 full with water. Heat over high heat.
While oven and stockpot are heating, prepare chicken. Lay chicken tenders on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with nonstick spray. Drizzle 2-3 Tbsp olive oil over chicken. Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and dried basil. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add spaghetti to boiling water. Cook 11-13 minutes or until al dente. While pasta and chicken are cooking, prepare sauce.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over high heat. Add onions and cook 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turned heat down to medium and add garlic. Cook 2-3 more minutes. Add salt, pepper and dried basil and stir. Turn heat down to low and add sundried tomatoes (oil included). Stir and cook 3-5 minutes.
Add heavy cream and whisk well. Turn heat up to high until sauce starts slightly bubbling. Once bubbling, whisk again. Turn down to low and cover, allowing sauce to simmer. After simmering for 3-5 minutes, remove 1 cup of sauce and blend in a mixer. This will slightly thicken sauce. Once blended, return to pan and mix well.
Drain pasta and set aside. Remove chicken from oven and dice.
Using a large mixing bowl, spread spinach along bottom. Add drained pasta on top of spinach. The heat will begin to wilt the spinach.
Whisk shredded mozzarella cheese, paprika and red pepper flakes into sauce. Pour finished sundried sauce over pasta. Top with diced chicken. Using tongs, mix well, incorporating spinach from bottom of bowl into mixture.
Plate and serve immediately. Top with shredded fresh Parmesan cheese.