Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
About 3 fluid ounces vegetable oil, divided
1 pound penne pasta
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, julienne cut
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 pound whole-leaf spinach, stemmed
12 fluid ounces heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
To prepare the chicken, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, black pepper and
herb seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off
excess.
Saute the chicken in batches, in a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet - with
enough oil to coat - over medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each
side or until golden-brown and crisp.
When finished, transfer the skillet to a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Cook
for approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through and the internal
temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Cook the pasta al dente (or according to pac kage instructions). Drain and
set aside until needed.
To prepare the sauce, while the pasta is cooking, heat 1/2 to 1 fluid ounce
of oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and the red pepper and cook for about
one minute. Slowly add remaining 1 tablespoon flour and stir to combine. Add
the white wine and bring to a boil for about 1 minute.
Add the spinach and the cream and bring to a boil. The sauce is done cooking
when the spinach becomes wilted. Complete by stirring in the parmesan
cheese.
Partly coat the pasta with the sauce, transfer to a large bowl (or
individual dishes) and top with the chicken, the remaining sauce and the
extra parmesan cheese.
Serves 6.