Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried short pasta
• 4 chicken breast cutlets
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine or stock
• 8-16 ounces of fresh spinach, washed, long stems removed and chopped
• Black pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup pesto

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with well-salted water, salty enough that you can taste it, and bring it to a boil. Stir in the dried pasta and cook it just to al dente.
2. As the pasta gets going, start the chicken. Season the chicken breasts with salt, warm the olive oil in a sauté pan, and sear the chicken over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. You are only looking for color here, not for the chicken to be fully cooked. Transfer the chicken out of the pan and keep it nearby.
3. Add the chopped onion to the same pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then. While the onion softens, cut the chicken into strips. Separate the pieces that are already cooked through from the pieces that still need a bit more time in the pan.
4. Once the onion is starting to take on a little color, stir in the garlic and cook it for another minute. Pour in the white wine or stock and let it bubble hard until the amount of liquid has cooked down by half.
5. Add the spinach to the pan along with the chicken pieces that are not yet fully cooked. Use tongs to toss everything through the pan juices. Cook, stirring and turning frequently, until the spinach has wilted and the chicken is done, about 2 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat, then stir in a little black pepper, the reserved fully cooked chicken, and the pesto. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Stir the cream into the sauté pan until the sauce comes together, then scrape everything from the pan over the pasta and toss well. Serve right away.