Chicken & Cranberry Pasta
By 
Add some cranberries to the mix with this delicious creamy Chicken and Cranberry Pasta. Make extra and serve up for a hot lunch later in the week.
You’ll Need
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 12 oz (375g) fusilli pasta
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cooking oil
- ¼ cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (optional)
Prep and Cook
- Heat butter and oil at medium heat in large skillet.
- Sprinkle chicken strips with salt and pepper and sauté until cooked through.
- Remove from skillet, cover, and set aside. Meanwhile, cook pasta until tender but firm in a large pot of boiling salted water, for about 4 minutes.
- Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Return pasta to the pot; sprinkle with cheese and reserved pasta water, tossing gently to mix.
- Add 1/2 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp cooking oil to the skillet. When butter is melted, saute onion until browned, scraping any bits of chicken stuck to the pan.
- Pour in cream and cranberries and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until slightly thickened.
- Add stock and chicken to the sauce and simmer for a few minutes until chicken is heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add spinach and sauce to the pasta, tossing to coat.
- Serve pasta sprinkled with toasted walnuts and cranberries.
