This pasta dish isn't for you if you're trying to lose weight or if you don't like butter and cream. (If you fall into the latter category, we just probably can't be friends.) It's so delicious though, and it's incredibly simple to make. I look at it like a good "splurge" meal - sometimes we just need cream and carbs!
Creamy Chicken Pasta with Greens
Serves 4, or 2 with leftovers (yay I love leftovers!)
You'll need:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp, depending on your spice tolerance)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tblsp butter (or more, if you choose to sauté the chicken in butter rather than olive oil)
2 cups greens of your choice (I used a mix of spinach and baby kale)
Pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions (for this recipe I usually use linguine or penne)
First, season the chicken with the spices. (I like to use a couple of tablespoons of Emeril's Essence as an easy all-purpose substitute for the other spices. If you do that, just be sure to add salt too.) In a large skillet, sauté the chicken and onion in olive oil, (or butter, if you're feeling particularly decadent,) until the chicken is golden and the onions are translucent. Then, add the butter and cream, reduce the heat to low, and let the chicken and cream simmer until the sauce thickens. (You won't have to add any extra spices to the sauce, because the spices from the chicken will perfectly season it.) Meanwhile, cook pasta. When pasta is finished, drain the water off and add the greens directly to the warm pasta. Then, spoon the chicken and sauce directly onto the pasta and greens, and mix until it's all combined.
Serve with French bread, because, why not? Carbs are amazing. (Also, according to Tyler, the kale and spinach totally negate the butter and cream. Ha)
Creamy Chicken Pasta with Greens
Serves 4, or 2 with leftovers (yay I love leftovers!)
You'll need:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp, depending on your spice tolerance)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup whipping cream
2 tblsp butter (or more, if you choose to sauté the chicken in butter rather than olive oil)
2 cups greens of your choice (I used a mix of spinach and baby kale)
Pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions (for this recipe I usually use linguine or penne)
First, season the chicken with the spices. (I like to use a couple of tablespoons of Emeril's Essence as an easy all-purpose substitute for the other spices. If you do that, just be sure to add salt too.) In a large skillet, sauté the chicken and onion in olive oil, (or butter, if you're feeling particularly decadent,) until the chicken is golden and the onions are translucent. Then, add the butter and cream, reduce the heat to low, and let the chicken and cream simmer until the sauce thickens. (You won't have to add any extra spices to the sauce, because the spices from the chicken will perfectly season it.) Meanwhile, cook pasta. When pasta is finished, drain the water off and add the greens directly to the warm pasta. Then, spoon the chicken and sauce directly onto the pasta and greens, and mix until it's all combined.
Serve with French bread, because, why not? Carbs are amazing. (Also, according to Tyler, the kale and spinach totally negate the butter and cream. Ha)
