Description
This Italian Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts coated in a flavorful crust and served with a creamy, cheesy sauce over a bed of linguine. It’s a delicious and satisfying meal that’s perfect for a special occasion or a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely diced
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 box (16 oz) linguine noodles
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour the milk and lemon juice over them. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- Prepare Chicken Coating: In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and powdered sugar.
- Coat and Cook Chicken: Drain the chicken from the marinade and dredge in the flour mixture, coating evenly. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake Chicken: Bake the chicken in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Cook Pasta: While the chicken bakes, cook the linguine according to package directions.
- Make Sauce: In the same skillet used for the chicken, add the remaining olive oil (or use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes). Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook for several minutes over medium heat, until fragrant.
- Thicken Sauce: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over the tomatoes and stir well. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Finish Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining cornstarch and milk. Add this mixture to the sauce along with the heavy cream, spinach, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens and the spinach wilts. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Serve: Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and serve with the baked chicken.
Notes
- To ensure even cooking, use a meat tenderizer to flatten the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness.
- For a richer flavor, use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes instead of additional olive oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 750
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 1300mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 70g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
