Originally published on April 2, 2015
This dish might seem like a lot of work at first. I mean, there’s the chicken that needs to be cooked and two different pasta sauces that need to be made, and, well – is dinner really worth it? Well yeah, when the end result is as delicious and satisfying as this one, it really is. Help yourself out by making both the pesto and the chicken the day before and all you’ll have left is the pasta and the Alfredo sauce to make the night of. Also, start cooking your Alfredo sauce before the pasta is cooking. If it finishes its end cooking time, you can simmer it on a very low heat on the stove until your pasta is ready to be tossed with it. With all these small cheats, a pasta dish that uses cooked chicken and two different sauces becomes a snap and definitely, definitely well worth it!
Ingredients:
2 fully cooked roasted chicken breasts, sliced thinly
1/2 pound spaghetti or other pasta of your choosing
1 Alfredo recipe, store-bought or homemade
1 pesto recipe, store-bought or homemade
4 cups spinach
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Place the olive oil in a pan set over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook for two minutes, just until soft. Then add the spinach and cook, turning regularly, just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2.) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove and in a large separate skillet, start your Alfredo sauce.
3.) When the water is boiling, drop your pasta and cook for 8 – 10 minutes, just until the pasta is al dente and still has a bit of bite left to it. Remember that it will be cooking in another pan for a few minutes and can be cooked for longer, so don’t overcook it!
4.) When the pasta is finished cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest.
5.) If the Alfredo sauce is finished cooking, add in the spinach, the cooked pasta and chicken and stir well to combine. Then add 2 heaping tablespoons of pesto and stir again to incorporate.
6.) Cook in the large skillet, stirring and mixing occasionally, until everything has warmed through and the pasta is properly cooked. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
7.) Serve and enjoy!