Wednesday, September 30, 2015

One-Pot Pasta with Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, and Chicken

I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately and have been just relying on my old recipes to get me through the year.  So while I've still been cooking, I didn't have anything new to post here since my move last fall.

Actually, that's kind of a lie.  I've had a couple new recipes that I wanted to tweak a bit more before posting.  But, for the most part, I've been using my old recipes.  Dealing with a longer commute home and house-related stuff, it's nice to have good standby dishes that I can make with my eyes closed.

Once the oppressive heat and humidity of summer started to fade, I began craving some warm and hearty pasta dishes.  Then I came across this one-pot pasta dish that was too good to not try.  And try I did and it's awesome.  So easy, yet satisfying and yummy!  And at the end of it I have minimal dishes to clean up.  Perfect for my lazy self.

Servings: 3-6 (original recipe says 6, but I typically eat 2 "normal" servings for dinner making this 3)

Ingredients:
12 ounces pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6-8 ounces baby spinach
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, sliced
1-2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon of olive oil (or cooking spray)
1/4 cup feta
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese (topping)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  • Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven (or coat it with a cooking spray) over medium heat.
  • Add 1 chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add 2 tsp minced garlic and stir together for 1 minute.
  • Add 28 oz diced tomatoes, 2 cups chicken broth, 12 oz pasta, 14 oz sliced artichoke hearts, 1-2 cups cooked chicken, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp rosemary, and 1/4 tsp red pepper.  
  • Stir everything together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until pasta is slightly al dente.
  • Remove from heat and stir in 6-8 oz baby spinach and 1/4 cup feta.  
  • Salt and pepper to taste and let stand for 10 minutes so sauce can thicken.  
  • Before serving, stir again and top with grated or shaved Parmesan (and some extra feta if you want).

See, so easy!  I confess that I may have been a little bit more generous with the cheese at times.
Can you see the sad pug face in the corner?
Focus on the pasta.
Focus on the pugs.
And can we get a close-up of those lil begging faces?
I had them at cheese.
Adapted from My Recipes.