Tuscan Chicken Pasta

This is something that I posted on my main blog a while ago, but since we just had it for dinner again tonight, the point of my kitchen blog is to store recipes, and it tastes really good; it earned a re-posting!

This recipe came from Men’s Health magazine. My husband flagged it as one that he thought looked tasty, and I’m really glad he did! It tastes great, it’s really healthy and it serves two (but could easily be multiplied to serve more people). The amount of pasta the recipe calls for is typically the amount that serves one person. Don’t let that deter you, with the chicken and beans there are plenty of other things in this dish to fill you up, plus they help boost the nutritional balance more than just pasta.

The Ingredients:
2 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
8 ounces chicken breast, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, diced
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

The Instructions:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. While the pasta is boiling, season the chicken on each side with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sear it in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

3. Add the oil, garlic, rosemary, beans, red pepper, and spinach to the skillet. Cook, turning frequently, until the spinach wilts (1 to 2 minutes).

4. Slice the chicken and drain the pasta; toss them with the bean mixture. Spoon the pasta into two bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan.

Serves 2