Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta and Tomato Spinach Cream Sauce

This is a filling, healthy and romantic meal -- plus easy! Get someone to pick up the kids and have date night, Italian Style!

First, don't let the "Cream" in the name of this recipe scare you! It's not what you think (a la Alfredo from last week!) Also, don't let me fool you, this recipe is my sisters' delicious concoction. It. Is. So. Good! I used organic whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Always. My new cooking hero,Teresa Giudice from the New Jersey Housewives, says real Italian pasta is made with a hard wheat called durum that's coarsely ground to a flour called semolina. Italian pasta is slow-digesting and could be considered a whole grain! (From her book, Skinny Italian)


I looked at the "ingredient" on my package of pasta and it said: 100 percent organic durum wheat. Yay for me! Check yours, what does it say?
Another thing I learned from Teresa's book Skinny Italian is NOT to rinse your pasta after it's boiled. She says the starch on the noodles helps "grab" the sauce, instead of being slippery and letting it run off onto your plate, or worse ... your cute white pants for summer!! So, tonight, I did not rinse my pasta and I'll tell ya, it did make a difference. Teresa is the real deal. Grandma Errico and my Mom would agree ;)

Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta and Tomato Spinach Cream Sauce
Olive Oil
2 breasts of chicken
Salt, pepper
Chicken broth (1-2 Cups)
Juice of 1 lemon
3-4 cloves of garlic
Flour
Red Pepper Flakes
Medium Onion, diced
1 C Milk
Parsley
Chicken Broth
1 Can (16oz) diced tomatoes (Don't drain)
2 C Spinach
Parmesan Cheese
Angel Hair Pasta
Wondra
1. Heat Olive Oil in pan on medium/high heat. Cube chicken, season with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and cook chicken until done. Set aside.
2. Put diced onions in pan and add chicken broth, scraping bits off the bottom of the pan and simmer. Add enough chicken broth to submerge onions. Allow to cook 3-4 minutes at a boil. Add garlic, Parsley, Red Pepper and lemon juice.
3. Add milk to 2-3 TBSP Wondra in small cup and whisk. Add to chicken broth and onion stirring constantly for smooth texture.
4. Taste and adjust spices as needed. Add tomatoes to cream sauce. Stir to heat. Add chicken. Grab a handful of spinach and tear in half, place in the pot. Toss with tongs to cover spinach with pasta and sauce. Place lid on pan long enough for spinach to wilt. It doesn't take long.


Sprinkle a little bit of cheese and enjoy!



A few things about this recipe that I will adapt for next time. Picky Pants likes spicy food, but doesn't love it. I apparently made it spicy tonight. I loved it, go figure. He also doesn't like tomatoes and picked every one out. So, next time I think I'll chop a zucchini and use the juice of the diced tomatoes and reserve the diced tomatoes for something else. It would be fun to see what else you come up with ... mushrooms, pine nuts ... I could probably think of other stuff to stick in there too. Let me know if you do something else.

If you're like me, you don't like to waste food. Well, this recipe only calls for one to two cups of chicken broth. So, you have quite a bit leftover. Remember you can stick it in a Tupperware and save it for the next night when you're boiling quinoa, rice, macaroni, or any vegetable you want steamed. It actually gives anything you're boiling or steaming a better flavor. And, that way, you're not wasting anything!

Picky Pants has a sweet tooth! One of his favorite healthy desserts is a whole, sliced banana and mini chocolate chips. Stick it in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes. It's kind of like a frozen Popsicle with chocolate. Eat with a spoon and enjoy!

Let me know what you think about this one, I think the pics turned out great! Mangi! Mangi!