Ingredients

• Pasta
12oz – 340g fettuccine or penne

• Salt for pasta water

• Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes (more for heat lovers)
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (Italian seasoning)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup – 240ml chicken stock
• 1 cup – 240ml heavy cream
• ½ cup – 80g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into strips
• ½ cup – 50g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1½ cups (60g) spinach, roughly chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Steps

• Step 1

  Cook pasta in salted water until just less than al dente.

• Step 2

  Season chicken with salt and pepper, dust lightly in flour.

• Step 3

  In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Once hot place chicken pieces and sear until golden on both sides and cooked through, 6-7 minutes per side. Remove and rest.

• Step 4

  In the same pan, add moire olive oil if needed, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste and Dijon mustard, cook another 30 seconds.

• Step 5

  Deglaze with chicken stock, then stir in cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer 3–4 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper (Not too much).

• Step 6

  Stir in Parmesan until smooth, then add spinach and let it wilt.

• Step 7

  Slice chicken into strips, return to the pan with pasta, and toss everything together. Add reserved pasta water as needed to make the sauce cling.

• Step 8

  Finish with lemon zest and fresh basil. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve immediately with more fresh basil.

Little Tips

Pasta water magic – Always reserve some before draining. The starch helps the sauce cling beautifully to the pasta.

Off-heat cheese melt – Stir Parmesan in after turning down the heat to keep it smooth, not grainy.