Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Pasta with Grilled Chicken
Hello and happy Thursday! I'm super pumped to be sharing this gem of a recipe with you guys today, so get excited! Pasta is a must in this household and one of my favorite ways to make it is with a creamy sauce like the one in this Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Pasta with Grilled Chicken. Intimidated? Don't be...this is pretty much the simplest "alfredo" type recipe you'll ever find! It's even weeknight capable!
So, I was always a red sauce gal. I'd always turn down any type of Alfredo sauce quickly believing that it was too high in fat or something. But once I stopped listening to these lies about food and started to explore freedom with eating again, I realized, all rules aside, I really did like alfredo!
It's amazing the tricks our minds can play on us, making us believe that we don't like something just because we're so fearful of letting ourselves. But with each little fear that you have in your life, in this case with eating certain foods, you're giving part of yourself to that fear and before you know it you have nothing left of just you...genuine YOU!
So now with this newfound love for alfredo pasta, but also with the dilemma of being lactose intolerant (maybe from my years of disordered eating? Maybe not?), I set out to find a sauce that would be pleasing to not only my tastebuds, but also to my sensitive stomach. Hence, the magical ingredient in this sauce...greek yogurt!
Greek yogurt, though still containing lactose, is a much easier digestible form and is accompanied by healthy digestive bacteria that helps to keep your digestive system in a happy, healthy balance. So, for those of you in the same boat, you can enjoy this creamy pasta along with me, tummy problems-free!
I mentioned in a recent instagram post how I've been trying to be more "intuitive" with my cooking as well. Basically, instead of how I used to prep for the week by picking out exact recipes to replicate each night, I've been trying to just buy basic ingredients that I could use each night to make a complete meal. This has been kinda challenging, not gonna lie. There's the uncertainty of not knowing what we're going to eat for dinner until 6 pm or so. There's also the headache that can sometimes come after a long day of work with now having to figure out what to put on the table to make a somewhat decent meal. Anyways, let's just say...craziness and all...it's going pretty well! May do a separate post on this another day.
So, all that to say, this was one of the repercussions of my non-planning meal prepping! And what a winner it was! The creamy yogurt parmesan sauce combined with the pasta and chopped wilted spinach and artichoke hearts...who could complain! Top it with some grilled chicken (because it's finally warm enough to get outside and grill!) and your meal is complete!I hope you guys enjoy this recipe! And as always, let me know or send me pics if you make it! I love seeing all of your creations!
Hope you have a great rest of your week :)
Creamy Spinach & Artichoke Pasta with Grilled Chicken
Serves: 4 Prep and Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar + 1/4 cup water
1 cup greek yogurt
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
For the pasta:
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups quartered artichoke hearts
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Directions:
Start by making your pasta. Bring water to a boil and add in pasta, cooking until al dente. Drain water from pasta and set aside. Next make your sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan. Add in garlic and stir about a minute or two until fragrant. Pour in apple cider vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Next, remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 minutes to cool slightly before adding in yogurt. Whisk in yogurt until well incorporated. Return to low heat and pour in parmesan, stirring until melted. To put the pasta together, add in spinach to the saucepan, stirring until spinach is wilted. Next add in your artichokes (if using frozen artichoke, defrost first). Stir to warm before adding in your pasta and stirring so that sauce is well incorporated into pasta. To finish, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil and either grill on outdoor grill or, as in my case, use a mini indoor grill. Cook until white meat throughout the chicken, slice, and place on pasta. Finish with some more parmesan sprinkled on top and some red pepper flakes if desired. Enjoy!