Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken breast, sliced into 1-inch strips
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
  • 1/2 cup starchy pasta water, reserved
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 cups fresh spinach

Instructions:

  1. Season chicken strips with smoked paprika and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 3 minutes without moving to develop a crust, flip, and cook 2 more minutes until opaque. Remove chicken from pan.
  2. Lower heat to medium in the same skillet. Add minced garlic and sauté for 60 seconds. Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits (fond).
  3. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water until the sauce is smooth and emulsified.
  4. Toss the cooked pasta and seared chicken back into the sauce. Add fresh spinach and stir until wilted and the sauce coats the pasta in a velvet-like finish.