Chicken Florentine Pasta Recipe

Chicken Florentine Pasta is similar to a Chicken Florentine dish, but it is served over pasta...just like it says in the name, so I have no idea why I felt the need to explain it, but I did <grin>.

Florentine recipes typically feature some kind of protein served on a bed of spinach and smothered in a deliciously cheesy Mornay sauce.

Chicken Florentine is a bit boring to me, so to change it up I added the pasta. Plus I've been on a kind of pasta kick recently. Late at night I've been getting hit with ideas for fun new pasta dishes such as Chicken Pot Pie Pasta, Spinach Artichoke Pasta, Spicy Chicken Pasta, Chicken Fajita Pasta, and the list could go on, but you get the idea! Check out my pasta page for more yummy pasta recipes.

This pasta dish has bite sized pieces of pan seared chicken, sauteed garlic baby spinach, and grape tomatoes on a bed of linguine. I topped it all off with a Green Onion and Parmesan Mornay Sauce that is out of this world! The sauce has a little bit of Swiss cheese in it which gives it just a hint of tang. I like that! I'm not a huge fan of Swiss cheese but it sure works in this sauce!

Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta Recipe

By Life Tastes Good
Published 05/09/2014

Ingredients

• 8 ounces linguine
• 1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 pound chicken cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cream
• 1 ounce Swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half

Instructions

1. Cook 8 ounces (1/2 pound) of linguine as directed on the package. Drain and set aside.
2. While the linguine is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add the spinach. Stir it around a bit until it starts to wilt and then add 1 tablespoon of freshly minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring until spinach is wilted. Remove from pan to a plate and keep warm. Set aside.
3. In the same large skillet over mid-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet in a single layer. Let the chicken pieces cook 3-4 minutes until they get a good sear on one side. Then flip each piece over and cook them for 3-4 more minutes until they are nicely seared and cooked through. The timing will vary depending on how hot your skillet is and the thickness of your chicken. When the chicken is nicely seared on both sides and cooked through, remove it from the pan and keep it warm on the plate with the spinach. You can add the cut tomatoes to the plate as well and they will warm up.
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup butter and stir in 1/4 cup chopped green onions and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Cook until the onions begin to soften. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour until combined.
5. Add 1 cup cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to mid-low and whisk in 1 ounce Swiss cheese and 2 ounces Parmesan cheese. Simmer until the cheese has melted and the sauce is thickened. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
6. In a large serving dish, combine the cooked linguine with the chicken, spinach and tomatoes and top with the Mornay sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 15 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.

Tags: Chicken Florentine, Pasta, Linguine, Dinner, Spinach, Vegetables, Mornay Sauce, Cheese Sauce