Lemon Angel Hair with Spinach and Chicken

Looking for a new and refreshing recipe? This is it! This nice little dish is delightful and not too challenging to make. It will definitely be much easier the next go around having now made it once. Honestly, the hardest part was probably my almost 2 year-old climbing up my leg. :)

One of my goals for 2013 is to add some new meals to our menu and of course try and eat a little healthier. Between the holidays and pregnancy; shopping for, planning and making dinner has not been one of my favorite things to do. We have been eating out way to much. So much that I am sick of eating out and actually yearning for some home cooked meals. So I decided to get an early start to 2013 and kick off the New Year with this great dish.

Lemon Angel Hair with Chicken and Spinach
Found on Pinterest from The Recipe Crayon Box & originally adapted from Rachel Ray's Lemon Spaghetti
http://therecipecrayonbox.blogspot.com/2012/07/lemon-angel-hair-with-chicken-and.html?m=1


Ingredients
1/2 lb angel hair pasta
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper (I omitted)
Cooked chicken cut into chunks ( I used 3 cutlets, which I seasoned and cooked on the stove top)
2 lemons zested and juiced
3/4 c of half & half ( next time I'd like to use a low fat substitute)
1 c Parmesan grated or shredded
1 c of baby spinach
3 T of EVOO
2-3 T of pasta water

Now What

Bring a pot of water to a boil, be sure to salt water. Add pasta.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil, garlic and red pepper.
Cook until oil sizzles. Pay careful attention. I burned my first batch of garlic. Stove was too hot.
Add lemon juice, half & half and pasta water to oil mixture.
Raise to medium heat and cook until sauce begins to bubble.
Drain your pasta, but do NOT rinse.
Add pasta, lemon zest and 1/2 c of Parmesan cheese to sauce.
Toss until well mixed.
Add spinach and cut chicken to skillet.
Toss until well mixed.
Add remaining Parmesan cheese.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Angel hair only takes 2-6 minutes to cook depending how you like it.
I use to hate zesting until I found the right tool. Much easier now. I also found short quick strokes are easier and make the process quicker.

Sauce mixed, zested and cheese added. Almost done...

Final product! Chicken chunks and baby spinach added. I ended up adding more spinach to my plate! 












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