This is a decadent dish that is great for the fall when you have extra tomatoes from the garden ripening on the windowsill and that spinach or swiss chard growing as a cool weather crop. It’s warm and invites you to have a nice warm slice of garlic bread along with it.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – pounded slightly to make even thickness
• 1 tsp garlic pepper (or garlic powder and ground black pepper, mixed)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs garlic – minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes – diced
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1.5 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 10 oz penne pasta

Instructions:

• For the chicken: Season generously with the salt and garlic pepper. Okay, I grill mine, any weather. But, obviously, you can cook it by whatever method you like best – be it pan frying, baking, air frying…. After it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, set it on a plate and let it rest.
• Get a pot of water on the boil and cook your penne pasta according to package instructions. While that cooks you can start your sauce if you want. Or you can wait, drain it when done and let it sit. Up to you. Just, whatever you do, don’t rinse that pasta!
• On medium-low, heat the butter until melted.
• Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until fragrant. You don’t want to brown it.
• Add your diced tomatoes and cook until they soften and release their juices.
• Add the fresh spinach and flip it as it starts to wilt. When it does, season with the paprika, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and some salt, stirring it all in.
• Over low heat, add the heavy cream and slowly add in the Parmesan, mixing it in until the sauce is nice and creamy.
• When the sauce is the way you like it, you can either stir in the pasta or plate your pasta and add sauce over it.
• Slice your chicken and top your pasta dish with it.