Description
This easy pasta is the perfect dish to impress. It’s great with the sauce alone, but even better with the addition of Parmesan-crusted chicken and some veggies!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan
- 2 whole Chicken Breasts, Cut In Half Lengthwise
- 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
- 1 whole Red Onion, Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 cups Mushrooms, Roughly Chopped
- 1 cup Vodka
- 28 ounces, fluid Crushed Tomatoes
- 12 ounces, weight Dried Penne Pasta
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 4 cups Spinach
- ½ cups Basil, Chopped
- Parmesan To Garnish
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan and dip chicken in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Dip olive oil-coated chicken in mixture, making sure to cover the chicken entirely. Bake chicken on baking sheet for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through so each side gets crispy. If you want it to be even crispier, broil the chicken on each side after it’s done baking for 30 seconds to a minute on each side or until browned (keep an eye on your oven, as this can go pretty quickly). Slice or dice chicken and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil to skillet and heat at medium heat. Add onions and saute for 4–5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, mushrooms, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and sautee for an additional 2 minutes. Add vodka and simmer for 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes (watch out for splatter!). Add salt and pepper to taste. Use simmer time to bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook and drain pasta according to box instructions.
After 20 minutes, stir in cream until sauce turns pink. Pour sauce over drained pasta, add spinach, chicken, and basil, and stir to combine. Add as much Parmesan to your bowl as you feel morally capable of consuming, and eat!
