Rigatoni Chicken with mushroom and spinach- adapted from 4 plates 2 table

This recipe was adapted from my cousin Nancy’s blog called www.4plates2table.com you can find the original recipe on her site.

INGREDIENTS

• 500 g Rigatoni pasta
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 500gm boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 500 gm cremini mushrooms, sliced (baby protobella, you can use portobella mushrooms is you can’t find cremini’s, the taste is just a bit stonger)
• 250 gm white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (410 gm)
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (1/2 tsp dried)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• ¾ cup white wine
• 200gm baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring your water to a boil for your pasta.
2. Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the cubed chicken. I use a 6qt sauté pan. Let the chicken brown and cook through. Don’t stir it too much so the chicken can brown nicely. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
3. Add another small drizzle of olive oil to the pan (if needed) and add your onions. Sauté the onions until they become translucent. Add the mushrooms and the garlic to the pan and continue to stir for about 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Add the chopped fresh herbs, Kosher salt and pepper to taste, red pepper flakes if using, the diced tomatoes and the wine. Stir to combine and turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer while you cook your pasta.
4. Cook the pasta until it is just slightly undercooked, about a minute less than the time on the box. You will add it to the sauce and this will help it to not become overcooked. Drain your pasta and reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
5. Add the chicken back to the pot with the sauce and stir to combine.
6. Put the drained pasta right into the pan with the sauce and give it a big stir. Add the spinach to the pot next. You may need to add it in two batches, but it will wilt allowing more room. Use your reserved pasta water if needed to help the spinach wilt and combined with the sauce.

Enjoy!