Creamy Spinach Parmesan Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves

• 1 pound penne pasta

• 8 cups firmly packed baby spinach leaves, washed and trimmed

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1 cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese

• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until cooked through. Remove to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Stir in a generous amount of salt and drop in the pasta. After a minute or two, add the spinach a handful at a time so the water doesn’t lose its boil at any time. Cook, stirring often, until al dente.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cream, nutmeg, and white pepper. Bring it to a boil, but don’t let it reduce. Add salt to taste.

4. Drain the pasta and spinach in a collander, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Over low heat, stir the pasta into the cream mixture along with most of the parmesan cheese (save the rest for passing at the table or garnishing). If the noodles absorb too much cream, add pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until you have the consistency of heavy cream, with each serving having a puddle in the bottom of the bowl.

5. Slice chicken and portion onto each individual serving. Serve immediately.