½lemonjuiced plus additional lemon wedges for garnish
⅓cupfresh parsleyminced or use fresh basil if you prefer
16ouncespenne pasta
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
Prepare the chicken:
Pat the chicken dry and set aside.
In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of flour, salt, pepper, dry thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne powder, and stir. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess.
Add the oil to a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is frothy, add the chicken. Cook the chicken in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry the chicken for 5 minutes per side and transfer to a plate. They do not need to be cooked through!
Prepare the sauce:
Add more oil, if needed, to the same wide pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add the add cherry tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the cherry tomatoes begin to blister–about 5 minutes later–add two more tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is frothy, add the minced garlic, dry thyme, and crushed red pepper.
Next, stir in 2 tablespoons flour and cook it into the tomatoes for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in half of the water or stock. Add the remaining water or stock and whisk until completely smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let it bubble over the stovetop for 5 minutes. Taste and season the sauce to your preferences. Turn off the heat.
Bake the chicken:
Stir the spinach into the sauce. Place the chicken on top and bake it for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Finish the pasta:
Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Add the lemon juice and cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. If needed, add the pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce. Finally, stir in the minced parsley or basil—taste and season once more to your preferences.
To serve:
Divide the pasta between shallow bowls and place a chicken breast on each dish. Garnish with more parsley or basil if you like, and serve with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!