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Chicken Florentine

by Deanna Williams
Total 45 minutes
Active 20 minutes
Serves 4
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Seasoned chicken breast with a rich, creamy white sauce over pasta, bell pepper and withered spinach. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced in half length-wise and tenderized)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 8 oz pasta (your choice, penne works great!)
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot (diced)
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme (stripped from stems)
  • 1 red bell pepper (sliced thin)
  • 2 oz cream cheese
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)
  • 3 oz baby spinach
  • 2 oz chicken stock (optional)
  • fresh basil (for garnish)
  • lemon (cut into wedges, for garnish)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F
  • Make sure chicken breast is tenderized to the point that it is even in thickness from top to bottom. This will help ensure even cooking and prevent parts of it from drying out
  • In a deep skillet (about 2 inches) heat olive oil over medium heat
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper
  • Once the oil is nice and hot, sear both sides of the chicken breast until golden brown. There's no need to cook them all the way through here, we're just trying to give the chicken a nice color and help it reserve it's juices while we bake it off in the oven
  • Move the chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven, cooking until it reaches 165°F - about 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken
  • Meanwhile, start cooking the pasta according to package directions (if you're using fresh pasta, go ahead and wait until you've added the red bell peppers below to start cooking so you're pasta doesn't get soggy) and melt the butter in skillet used to cook the chicken and add shallot
  • Cook the shallot until just soft - about 5 minutes
  • Add garlic and cook until fragrant - about 2 minutes
  • Pour in the wine and add the fresh thyme leaves. We'll want to cook until the wine is almost completely reduced and there's just a little bit of moisture left at the bottom of the pan - about 5 minutes
  • Add red bell pepper slices, stir to coat and then add the cream cheese and stir until it has completely melted
  • Add in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese has melted
  • Mix in baby spinach until it has started to wither a little bit and then add some chicken stock if the sauce seems too thick. If you're fine with the consistency don't worry about adding the chicken stock
  • Remove the chicken from the oven if you haven't already and serve on top of pasta and sauce, garnish with fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon