Sun Dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta

Great for dinner and great cold as a salad the next day

Ingredients

• 12 oz penne pasta or a fun ruffly one like Malfadine

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 2 tbsp Arbequina olive oil, divided

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1⁄2 tsp each salt and pepper

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 1⁄2 jar Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade

• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine

• 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1⁄4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale

• Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Cook the penne in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

• Meanwhile, season the chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet. Sauté the garlic and shallot for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the sun-dried tomato tapenade.

• Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

• Add the spinach and let it wilt into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Add the drained pasta and cooked chicken to the sauce, tossing to coat. If needed, thin the sauce with a bit of reserved pasta water until it coats the pasta nicely.

• Serve the pasta garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmigiano Reggiano cheese if desired.