Chicken in Spicy White Wine Sauce

One of the hazards of coaching youth basketball is that Sunday dinners often get missed due to tournament schedules.  Today was one of those days when games were scheduled right smack in the middle of Sunday dinner, so what was planned for dinner became Sunday lunch instead!

I am all about quick meals that require few ingredients and this is one that can be on the table in under 30 minutes!

Chicken in Spicy White Wine Sauce

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (see note below)
• 1 pound box angel hair pasta
• 2 carrots – chopped into a small dice
• 1/2 small yellow onion – chopped into a small dice
• juice from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 generous handful fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup white wine (see note below)
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 TBLS olive oil (Or Olive Oil Spray)
• 2 TBLS + 1 TBLS dried tarragon
• freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• olive oil (for pasta)

**Notes

• You can save more time if you are able to buy your chicken breast already cut into strips for stir-fry
• You can use any white wine for this recipe – remember the adage, “If you wouldn’t drink it don’t cook with it,” it more than applies in this recipe.  I had some Westerly Sauvignon Blanc left so used up the last of the bottle.

Directions:

1. If not using pre-sliced chicken breast, cut breast into 1″ strips.
2. Put chicken into a bowl.  Squeeze the lemon over the chicken, season liberally with 1 TBLS tarragon and pepper.
3. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
4. Cook the Angel Hair according to package directions.  Drain and return to the pan.  Liberally drizzle olive oil over the pasta and toss so that the noodles don’t stick together.  Cover to keep warm while you finish the chicken.
5. Spray medium skillet with olive oil spray or put 1 TBLS olive oil into skillet and heat over medium high heat.
6. Put chicken into pan in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides – about 4 minutes total.  Remove from pan and set aside.
7. Add the carrots, onion, red pepper flakes and tarragon to the pan with a splash of olive oil.  Stir fry about 3 minutes.
8. Add the wine to the pan and scrape the pan to make sure you have gotten the browned bits from browning the chicken up.
9. Lay the spinach over the top of the carrots and onion.  Once it starts to wilt, stir it into the other vegetables.
10. Add the chicken broth to the vegetables and bring it to a boil,
11. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce so that the carrots, onion and spinach are finely chopped down and combined.
12. Return the chicken to the pan and allow to cook in the sauce until it’s re-heated.  Adjust the seasonings as needed.

To serve:  Mound a serving of pasta on the plate.  Spoon the chicken with the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle some shredded Parmesan cheese.  #GirlsGoneWine