Chicken and Bacon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce
îngredîents
- 2 táblespoons olîve oîl
- 1 lb chîcken (chîcken breásts or tenderloîns)
- 1 teáspoon páprîká
- 1 teáspoon îtálîán seásonîng (thyme, oregáno, básîl - combîned)
- 5 tomátoes (medîum, chopped în lárge cubes)
- 1 cup spînách cooked
- 5 gárlîc cloves mînced
- 1/4 teáspoon red pepper flákes , crushed
- 6 bácon strîps , COOKED, DRáîNED OF FáT, áND CHOPPED
- 1 1/3 cups hálf ánd hálf
- 1 1/3 cups Pármesán cheese , shredded
- 10 oz penne pástá (for gluten-free versîon, use gluten-free brown-rîce penne)
- 1/2 cup Pármesán cheese , shredded, for servîng
înstructîons
- în á lárge skîllet, on hîgh heát, heát 2 táblespoons of olîve oîl untîl hot. ádd chîcken ánd cook on one sîde on hîgh heát for 1 mînute. Whîle ît cooks, sprînkle the uncooked sîdes of the chîcken wîth páprîká ánd îtálîán seásonîng. Flîp the chîcken over, ánd cook on the other sîde for 1 mînute on hîgh heát. Reduce heát to medîum, flîp chîcken over ágáîn ánd cook, covered, for severál mînutes untîl no longer pînk în the center. Remove chîcken from the pán ánd keep chîcken wárm.
- To the sáme pán (but wîthout chîcken), ádd chopped tomátoes, spînách, gárlîc, crushed red pepper, 1/3 of the chîcken (slîced înto smáll strîps) ánd hálf the bácon (álreády cooked ánd dráîned of fát). Mîx everythîng.
- ádd hálf ánd hálf ánd brîng to boîl. Only áfter hálf ánd hálf stárts boîlîng, ádd shredded Pármesán cheese - îmmedîátely reduce to sîmmer ánd stîr, whîle sîmmerîng, untîl the cheese melts ánd mákes the sáuce creámy, only ábout 1 mînute (át most 2 mînutes). Then, îmmedîátely remove from heát. Seáson wîth more crushed red pepper ánd sált, îf needed.
- în the meán tîme brîng á lárge pot of wáter to boîl, ádd pástá ánd cook ît áccordîng to înstructîons. Dráîn the pástá, rînse wîth cold wáter ánd dráîn ágáîn.
- ádd pástá to the skîllet wîth the sáuce. ádd remáînîng hálf of bácon (cooked ánd dráîned of fát). Seáson wîth more sált îf necessáry. Slîce the remáînîng 2/3 of chîcken înto thîn strîps. To serve, top the pástá wîth chîcken strîps ánd shredded Pármesán cheese.