This is one of the best dishes I’ve made this week! The pasta is tossed in delightfully creamy spinach, and ricotta sauce and is top with strips of lush lemon butter chicken breasts. I’m pretty sure everyone will love the hint of lemon and garlic in this dish, too!
INGREDIENTS
- Lemon butter chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove of sliced garlic
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
- Spinach, ricotta pasta:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 250 grams/1 c. ricotta cheese
- 1 lemon, zest, and juice
- 125 ml/1/2 c. reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint or 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 pound pasta (use linguine or any of your favorite)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 100 grams/2 c. fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for serving
- Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Lemon butter chicken:
Step 1: Season both sides of two chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Step 2: In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and sear both sides are golden.
Step 3: Decrease the heat and add the butter to the pan along with the sliced garlic. Cook for another 30 seconds before pouring in the lemon juice and adding a couple of slices of lemon. Stir well.
Step 4: Put the lid on and continue to cook the chicken breasts for another 10 minutes over low heat, flipping the chicken breasts once and basting them with the juices a few times until the chicken breasts are cooked through and no longer pink inside.
Step 5: In a plate, transfer the chicken and keep them warm.
Spinach, ricotta pasta:
Step 6: Following the package directions, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Step 7: In the meantime, add 1 tbsp butter in a large pan. Allow the butter to melt, then add the sliced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds over low heat. Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, and half a cup of pasta water. Stir well until the ricotta is completely blended.
Step 8: To the large pan, add the fresh spinach, chopped mint, and basil. Put the lid on and cook the greens for about 2 minutes until wilted. Remove the cover and mix well. To taste, season with salt.
Step 9: Once the pasta is done, drain and directly add to the pan with the spinach ricotta sauce. Toss well.
Step 10: Over the pasta, lay the sliced lemon butter chicken and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy right away.