Lemon Pasta With Chicken & Spinach
Angel hair pasta with a creamy, lemony alfredo sauce, fresh spinach and the most perfectly baked chicken makes a delicious dinner!
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3-4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
Pasta:
- 16 oz angel hair pasta
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach, stems removed
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
- Rub the seasoning all over the chicken breasts.
- Pour olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven, and heat to med-high.
- When nice and hot, add chicken to the pan, (in batches if necessary), and cook 2-3 min per side.
- Put all the chicken back in the Dutch oven. Place uncovered Dutch oven in the oven for 25 minutes or until juices run clear or the chicken registers 165 degrees.
- Let sit on a plate 5-10 minutes before slicing in to bite size chunks.
For the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. (It will continue to cook in the sauce to make it more tender.)
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over low heat.
- Add oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the oil sizzles (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add lemon juice, half-and-half, and about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the garlic oil mixture.
- Raise the heat to med-low to med heat until the sauce begins to bubble.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and add the pasta, lemon zest, and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the cream sauce.
- Toss for a minute or two.
- Add sliced chicken and spinach, and toss until well distributed.
- Top with remaining cheese and serve.