Foodies: Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Spinach
For our lunch meal, the foodies made a chicken Alfredo pasta with spinach. As a group, we wanted to create a dish that was savory and filling and we agreed that pasta dish would be best. The Alfredo sauce is fully homemade from scratch as well as the Italian seasoning that was added into the sauce and the chicken. We also wanted to add a twist to the chicken Alfredo and give it something else, normally people add broccoli to this dish but as a group we wanted to experiment and try spinach. The spinach mixed perfectly with the Alfredo and blended nicely flavor-wise with the chicken. It was able to cook to the perfect consistency to where in still had its original leafy crunch but also integrated well with the creaminess of the meal as a whole.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup butter (stick)
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 1/2 salt
- 1/2 pepper
- 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 box of Farfalle pasta (bowties)
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves (washed)
Instructions:
- In a large pot, set water to boil and add a pinch of salt to the water. Add pasta and cook until al dente (tender but slightly hard).
- Dice chicken breasts in cubes and place in a bowl. Take 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and sprinkle it over the chicken and mix it until cubes are lightly covered.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of oil olive on skillet and once oil is warm, place the chicken on it to cook. Cook for about 5 minutes while flipping the pieces. Once done, remove the chicken and place it in a medium bowl.
- Without cleaning the pan, place the 1/2 cup of butter to the pan on low heat. Once melted, add 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream to the pan and gently stir together. Add 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Bring to a simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese into the pan, mixing it with the butter and heavy whipping cream. Combine cooked chicken and baby spinach leaves to the sauce. Continue to stir until spinach is soft.
- Serve hot in bowls and top with pepper and salt.
Ratings of the meal:
Taste: 9/10 savory, tasty
Mouth feel/consistency: 8/10 creamy, hot
Smell: 9/10 Garlicy, Savory, Aromatic
Visual appeal: 7/10 Has some color, Bowtie pasta makes a fun look
Creativity: 7/10
- The alfredo sauce was made from scratch
- Spinach was added instead of broccoli
- Bowtie pasta was used with the alfredo sauce