Chicken Florentine Pasta

My oven hasn't been feeling up to par lately, so I have been making a lot recipes~ a lot of chicken recipes~ that call for sauteing with lots of veggies. This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Chicken Florentine Pasta. I used lots of garlic, the MOORE the merrier, right? This is a delicious dish using fresh vegetables and chicken, very healthy and wonderful comfort food. This is my newest favorite pasta dish. I love it so much, I am making it again this weekend. I love these types of recipes that are simple and delicious, you can't go wrong!

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ruffles Pasta
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Dry White Wine
• 3/4 cups Low-sodium Broth, More If Needed
• 1 bag Baby Spinach
• 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• Parmesan Cheese, grated

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan and toss to combine.

Serve with extra Parmesan.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Pasta

When we lived in New Jersey, we frequented a great restaurant called Hook Line and Sinker. I always ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca with Pasta. It was so delicious and enough for a family of four! Don’t you just love those restaurants that do take out and when you order a meal it’s enough for a family of four? I do. My kids were small at the time, but still! I tried recreating the dish, this is super close. I forgot to add mushrooms, but will next time. I would also add more chicken broth next time too, when I added the pasta to the sauce it soaked it all up. But other wise I think this is a fabulous dish, my family ate it all like it was nobody’s business. Meanwhile I was still walking down Memory Tasting Lane.

Chicken Saltimbocca With Pasta
Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or strips
5 slices of prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup Marsala Wine
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper
fresh sage
4-5 tablespoons butter (can be adjusted or substituted with Olive Oil)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound Rigatoni pasta or any short tubular pasta will do
1 box frozen spinach, drained or one bag of fresh spinach

Method:

1. Season all purpose flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lightly dredge chicken into flour shaking off excess. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil into a large hot pan. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until nicely browned, remove from pan and set aside for later.

2. In the same pan sauté 4 cloves garlic adding more butter or oil if the pan is dry. After a minute or so add the prosciutto slices and let them crisp up. Add a few torn leaves of fresh sage. Toss garlic and prosciutto together and then add Marsala Wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let liquid reduce to about half. Add chicken broth and cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. At this point you can add some more sage to infuse the flavor into the liquid. Sprinkle in flour a little at a time and stir after each addition until you get the the thickness you like. You want the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Once desired consistency is reached add cooked chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce and spinach.

3. Meantime cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain pasta and add in with the sauce and toss.

Girls Big Night Out ( staying in! ) and Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip

When you are having a Girls Night Out with lots of dancing and singing and delicious food, make sure to include this delicious Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip! I was so lucky to be invited to a Girls Night out for my birthday. I made my cherry cheesecake ( see recipe index) and Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip, perfect for a cold winters eve!

This is where I was invited for Girls Night Out! You won't see this in L.A.!

Gretchen's Fish Chowder oh my gosh, just heavenly, I would love a bowl right now. Gretchen is an amazing cook and baker, everything she makes is made with love. She made about 5 gallons of soup! There were 4 of us! My kind of cook! Are you sure you aren't Italian Gretchy?

Dave's amazing homemade French bread. Now I wouldn't say I was a such bread snob, okay well I am...so when Dave says he is going to bake bread, I am first in line. Laura and Dave are always so generous and deliver loaves piping hot out of the oven, you have to be quick if you want a slice, which I always do slathered with fresh churned butter, not that I make that or anything, a girl can dream, right? Don't leave the bread unattended at any time, B Zach is in the house!

Meredith's famous Caesar Salad please cut the onions properly Nettie!

Pull up a sofa and and a book!! No way, there will be lots of laughing, scrumptious food and dancing and singing, it's Girls Night out!!

Look at those chunks of seafood and fish and yummy potatoes. Nom Nom Nom!!

What a special meal prepared with love. I will always have fond memories of our special night out!

My Cherry Cheesecake with two candles, one for Laura and one for me. Happy Birthday Laura!

Okay! So when we are together it's not all about the food, well for me it is...but my other passion besides food is dancing and we did lots of it with Dance Revolution!!

Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip - After dancing app!

Dance, dance, dance! Sing, sing, sing until you throat is so sore from yelling, you think it's singing until you play the video that Meredith taped, thank you so much Meredith for opening your home to all of us, I had a most wonderful time! Wish I knew how to post videos of us all dancing and singing, I am sure it go viral on youtube! After lots of singing and lots of dancing and lots of laughing we worked up an appetite. My Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip - I was worried we wouldn't have enough so I made enough for a full dinner and lots of leftovers, take some home please!! Note to self-don't food blog when you are starving!! I doubled this recipe: Artichoke Spinach Cream Cheese Dip: 1 cup thawed frozen spinach, 1 1/2 cups thawed chopped frozen artichokes, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 8 ounce package of shredded Jack Cheese for top of dip. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 quart glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. Heat spinach in microwave for 5 minutes, squeeze dry. Heat artichokes in microwave, I used jar artichokes and included the marinade liquid- yum, why not? Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until soft. Pour these ingredients into a food processor add remaining ingredients and pulse until completely blended. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle Jack Cheese on top. Bake until hot 15-20 minutes. Serve with french bread or crackers or just a fork! This recipe has been linked up to my favorite blogs: