I wasn't sure what to call this recipe. I mean, besides "really really amazingly creamy and delicious". I'm not sure exactly how I made it either, but it was so good I have to at least try to share it. This pasta dish turned out just how I hoped, creamy but still light, with a hint of lemon taste. The farfalle looks so pretty, and I liked the colors of the white sauce, green spinach and red tomatoes. It was a really pretty dish and seemed just perfect for Valentine's Day dinner. My husband said this might be his favorite pasta dish I've ever made.
This was very loosely based off a couple similar recipes, and very heavily based on what I had in my fridge that I needed to use. I used this recipe and this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe as references for lemon cream pasta type dishes. I kept pouring in a little more milk or a little more lemon juice or a little more cheese, till I got the desired consistency and taste. The amounts below are approximations but I think they're fairly close. Here goes...
This was very loosely based off a couple similar recipes, and very heavily based on what I had in my fridge that I needed to use. I used this recipe and this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe as references for lemon cream pasta type dishes. I kept pouring in a little more milk or a little more lemon juice or a little more cheese, till I got the desired consistency and taste. The amounts below are approximations but I think they're fairly close. Here goes...
Chicken, Spinach and Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
1 lb pasta (farfalle, rotini or penne would all work)
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove if you're using fresh)
lemon pepper
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp white flour
2 Tbs-1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (okay, so I used bottled. shredded would be better I'm sure)
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high, add garlic, stir over heat 1 min until fragrant. Add chicken breasts and season with lemon pepper to taste. Cook chicken through, lightly browning each side. When cooked, transfer to cutting board and cut into bite size strips or cubes.
Return pan with cooking juices to stove over medium heat. Add cream, milk and flour and whisk well to dissolve flour. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Add more milk if necessary to reach desired thickness. Add lemon juice to taste, stirring and tasting after adding a little at a time. (I really didn't want to overdo it on the lemon taste.) Simmer and stir 5 minutes over medium/med-high. Add parmesan to taste, stir to melt. Add frozen spinach and diced chicken, stir everythink till heated through, a minute or two. Add pasta and stir it all together. You may not use all the pasta, just add enough so you have the right amount of sauce. Serve with tomatoes sprinkled on top.
1 lb pasta (farfalle, rotini or penne would all work)
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (about 1 clove if you're using fresh)
lemon pepper
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup light cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tsp white flour
2 Tbs-1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (okay, so I used bottled. shredded would be better I'm sure)
1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high, add garlic, stir over heat 1 min until fragrant. Add chicken breasts and season with lemon pepper to taste. Cook chicken through, lightly browning each side. When cooked, transfer to cutting board and cut into bite size strips or cubes.
Return pan with cooking juices to stove over medium heat. Add cream, milk and flour and whisk well to dissolve flour. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly. Add more milk if necessary to reach desired thickness. Add lemon juice to taste, stirring and tasting after adding a little at a time. (I really didn't want to overdo it on the lemon taste.) Simmer and stir 5 minutes over medium/med-high. Add parmesan to taste, stir to melt. Add frozen spinach and diced chicken, stir everythink till heated through, a minute or two. Add pasta and stir it all together. You may not use all the pasta, just add enough so you have the right amount of sauce. Serve with tomatoes sprinkled on top.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Yum! That looks delicious. I definitely need to try that. And I have almost that exact breadsticks recipe and I love it! Mine just has 2 T. sugar and 1 tsp. salt, but that's the only difference. It's definitely one of my favorite bread/roll things to make.
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight, and it was SO GOOD. Thank you! This will be a staple!
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