Fall is in the air! With the change in weather comes a change in light – it goes quickly during the day – so we have to eat dinner earlier and earlier to be able to capture a good food shot, haha. #thanksfred This recipe comes together quickly and is out of this world delicious! If there are just two of you, this heats up well the next day!

I ran across a food blogger, Suzy Karadsheh – The Mediterranean Dish. I’ve made several of her recipes and they NEVER disappoint. This is a creamy chicken pasta MINUS THE CREAM! You would never know it’s missing.

📒My Yellow Sticky Note Version – click HERE to go directly to this recipe on The Mediterranean Dish where you can print it and read some of her comments and ideas for substitutions – so helpful! The only thing I changed is I backed off some of the seasonings and I didn’t have fresh parsley – it would have been pretty sprinkled on top.

CREAMY CHICKEN PASTA RECIPE

• 8 oz. penne pasta (or your choice, I used bowtie this time and it worked wonderful)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• S & P
• A few sprinkles of dried oregano
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 2 large garlic cloves, microplaned
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (in package)
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 – 15oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 cup Whole or 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle on top (Optional)

Instructions

• Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook according to package directions for al dente. *Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining pasta.
• While pasta is cooking, pat chicken dry, then cut into bite-sized strips. Season with Oregano, S & P.
• In large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of EVOO over medium high heat until shimmering. Add chicken pieces and cook (without crowding) until cooked through and golden brown (approx. 7-8 minutes).
• Add garlic and sun dried tomatoes to the pan with the chicken and stir it around for about 30 seconds, then add grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Toss to combine and turn the heat to medium-low.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, flour and parmesan cheese. Pour the mixture into the pan and add the baby spinach. Add a little bit of the pasta cooking water that you reserved (a few tablespoons or so) and stir for a few seconds to help the sauce thicken.
• Add the pasta and mix to combine. Plate and sprinkle with parsley.
• Excellent reheated the next day – I love how Suzy is so thorough with her recipes she includes EXCELLENT notes for the best pasta to use, what to do to get the best silky sauce, GF option, Ideas of what to serve with it, How to store AND REHEAT leftovers. To reheat (and this worked beautifully!): Using a shallow, wide pan add a few tablespoons of milk to the pan and heat until warm (but not shimmering). Add the pasta to the warmed milk and stir rapidly. This will help the sauce re-emulsify if it has separated. 5 STARS in taste, directions, ingredients and reheating!

👩‍💻 Until next time… Hope you have a chance to try this recipe (see links above BOLDED)!