chicken-spinach-skillet-pasta-with-lemon-parmesan

Winter Best Food

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

This one-pan chicken pasta combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal that's garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta," and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way, it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces gluten-free penne pasta or whole-wheat penne pasta
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, trimmed, if necessary, and cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 10 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine, lemon juice and zest; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach and the cooked pasta. Cover and let stand until the spinach is just wilted. Divide among 4 plates and top each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan.