Chicken and Goat Cheese Spinach Pasta
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
12 oz. penne pasta, whole wheat
6 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tbsp. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups chicken broth
¾ cup Parmesan, grated
½ tsp. basil, dried
¼ tsp. oregano, dried
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 chicken breasts, large; cut into 1-inch chunks
12 oz. baby spinach, fresh
1 ½ cups mozzarella, shredded
12 oz. goat cheese
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Over medium high heat in a large frying pan, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Stir in flour and salt. Slowly whisk in milk, chicken broth; whisk constantly so no lumps form. Return to heat, whisk in parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and black pepper. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil. Once heated add onion and sauté; then add chicken breast chunks, cook until pink is gone. Next add spinach but do not stir in. Cover pan with lid. Turn heat to low and cook until spinach is wilted. Mix in spinach.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread a third of the cheese mixture in the bottom of the dish. Top with a third of the pasta, then a third of the chicken/spinach mixture, Repeat twice. Sprinkle additional parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Bake uncovered for about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
