Pesto Chicken Florentine is a dish that has its origins back in Florence, Italy. Like a lot of other contemporary dishes from Florence, this dish features spinach heavily sautéed in butter. It is additionally topped off with a white sauce called Alfredo sauce.
It has to be mentioned that in the traditional version of this dish, there is no Pesto but it adds a great deal of flavor and zest to it while also serving as a terrific complementary item to the sautéed spinach. This combination of Pesto, chicken and Alfredo sauce is what creates one of the most iconic dishes out of Italy.
Health benefits:
The Pesto Chicken Florentine has nearly 21 grams of protein per 100 grams of the chicken portion. Additionally, great amounts of B6 Vitamin, as well as Vitamin A and C, are also present. These can prove incredibly valuable in reducing the inflammation of the body.
Ingredients
olive oil: 2 tbsp
garlic: 2 tsp
boneless skinless chicken breast, halved and cut into strips: 4
fresh spinach leaves: 2 cups
pesto: 2 tbsp
grated Romano cheese: 1 tbsp
package dry penne pasta: 1-16 oz
chicken broth: 1 cup
half chili: 1 cup
whipping cream: 1/2
parmesan cheese: 1 cup
salt and pepper
How To Make Pesto Chicken Florentine
- You will need to set up a large skillet to work on this dish.
- Sauté the garlic in the hot oil for about a minute.
- Make sure you get the garlic crispy enough.
- Add chicken to it and cook for about 7-10 minutes on each side.
- One your chicken is cooked, add spinach.
- Sauté these two items together for about 4-5 minutes.
- On the other hand, cook pasta according to your portion needs.
- Rinse it properly after you’re done with the pasta.
- Add garlic to a different pan and sauté it for 1 minute.
- Add broth and bring it to a boil.
- Add the chilies and the cream as well.
- Add salt, pepper and parmesan cheese once you’ve got it thickened.
- Keep stirring constantly to avoid any stickiness.
- Once the sauce has reached the required thickness, add 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce and set aside.
- Add the chicken and spinach mixture to the pasta.
- Stir the Pesto/Alfredo sauce properly.
Mix them up well and top it off with Romano cheese.