Chicken-and-Artichoke Penne

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 lb penne pasta
  • 1 lb chicken breast tenders
  • 1 1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 pt cherry tomatoes
  • 1 (9 oz) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
  • 1 (6 oz) package fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1. Bring 4 qt water to a boil in a stockpot over high heat. Add 1/4 cup slat; return to a boil. Add pasta; boil, stirring occasionally, 11 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

2. Sprinkle chicken with 1 tsp slat and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove chicken from skillet. Add tomatoes to skillet cook, stirring often, 4 minutes. Stir in artichokes, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until tomatoes burst.

3. Stir pasta, spinach and 3/4 cup cheese into tomato mixture. Add up to 1/2 cup remaining pasta water, stirring constantly, until thin sauce forms. Chop chicken; toss with pasta mixture. Top with remaining cheese.