TUSCAN GARLIC CHICKEN AND LINGUINE

By michellecresta

Tuscan Garlic Chicken and Linguine is a simple recipe ready in 20 minutes. Tender and juicy chicken with linguine pasta and fresh red peppers are tossed in a rich and creamy Chardonnay garlic-cream sauce to create this Tuscan-inspired dish. There is nothing quite like a restaurant-style dinner that comes together in a snap.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1 pound linguine pasta, uncooked
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup Chardonnay
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning Blend
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 5 ounces fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 20mins
Adapted from theslowroasteditalian.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a small handful of salt and the linguine and cook until it’s al dente (has a bite to it). Drain the pasta and reserve 2 cups of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, warm a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat when you hold your hand 6 inches above the skillet, add the oil. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken until it’s a deep golden brown and completely cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate.
Add the garlic, bell peppers and red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and seasoning blend to the skillet and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts into the sauce, about 1 minute. Add the reserved pasta water, a ladleful at a time, to thin the sauce if necessary. Sprinkle in the spinach and add the pasta.
Twirl the pasta and spinach into the sauce with tongs. Top with the cooked chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley.
DONNA'S NOTES
Covering your pot while bringing it to a boil will cut your cooking time. Be sure not to leave it unattended, or you may have a boil-over to clean up.
If you are sensitive to alcohol, you can substitute the Chardonnay for chicken stock.