Creamy Parmesan Chicken Penne, with Spinach & Tomatoes

Name: Creamy Parmesan Chicken Penne, with Spinach & Tomatoes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut to bite-sized pieces; 1 cup cooked spinach; 5 tomatoes, diced into large pieces; 2 cups heavy cream, or half-and-half; 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, fresh not from a can; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp Italian seasoning; 2 1/2 tsp garlic, minced; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 8 oz penne pasta; 6 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled; shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving

11 steps

Prep:30minCook:30min

Creamy flavor. Chicken with fresh veggies. Adapted from a blog. Makes a large quantity, and does not freeze well, so adjust quantities to what you can eat in a week!

Updated at: Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:38:15 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Moderate

Nutrition per serving

Calories513.8 kcal (26%)

Total Fat33.4 g (48%)

Carbs26.5 g (10%)

Sugars4.4 g (5%)

Protein26.7 g (53%)

Sodium437.9 mg (22%)

Fiber2 g (7%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

8 servings

1 lbboneless skinless chicken

cut to bite-sized pieces

1 cupspinach

cooked

5tomatoes

diced into large pieces

2 cupsheavy cream

or half-and-half

1 cupshredded Parmesan cheese

fresh not from a can

1 tsppaprika

1 tspitalian seasoning

2 ½ tspgarlic

minced

¼ tspred pepper flakes

8 ozpenne pasta

6bacon strips

cooked & crumbled

Parmesan cheese

shredded, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

Chicken: You can cook this fresh, but I prefer to make dinnertime faster by having it prepped ahead of time. Use Perdue Short Cuts grilled chicken strips, or grill extra chicken with a garlic or herb marinade earlier in the week, and set aside.

Step 2

Spinach: If using 1 box frozen, get this started first. Drain and set aside when ready. If using fresh, you will need 3 cups; add to the sauce with the tomatoes.

Step 3

Tomatoes: Wash, de-seed & dice. Set aside.

Step 4

Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Step 5

Sauce: In large skillet, add heavy cream/ half-and-half. Bring to a gentle boil. Add shredded Parmesan cheese, reduce heat to a simmer, and stir until the cheese is melted.

Step 6

Add the spices: paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and minced garlic.

Step 7

Add the vegetables: diced tomatoes and spinach. If using fresh spinach, continue stirring until the spinach starts to wilt & sinks into the sauce.

Step 8

Add prepared chicken to the sauce. Stir well until all is thoroughly mixed together.

Step 9

Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce.

Step 10

When ready to serve, top the pasta with crumbled bacon, & sprinkle with additional shredded Parmesan cheese.

Step 11

Serve with a Caesar salad, or other tossed salad.