Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken, Spinach, & Tomatoes

When I saw this recipe posted on The Comfort of Cooking, I knew I was going to make it, it was just a matter of when!!  Well, when happened recently and well, I must exclaim, I LOVE this dish!!!  Chris thought it was a bit too lemony but that, I am certain, was due to my error, not the error of the recipe.  You see, the other weekend, Chris and I stopped at a Farmer's Market that was down the street from our house.  One of the stands had some really nice sized lemons so I grabbed two knowing I was making this dish.  The more I thought about it, after we sat down to eat, the more I realized those lemons were much larger then normal ones I've been seeing in the store.  I mean MUCH larger, probably about double the size of the ones in the grocery store.  So, yea... I'm thinking the over lemony flavor was my bad.  (Sorry, Georgia!!)  Personally... I still loved it.  AND, I thought it was even better the next day!  The flavors had more time to meld together...it was delicious!!

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Chicken, Spinach, & Tomatoes
Adapted from Georgia, The Comfort of Cooking
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 lemons, zested and juices reserved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
13 oz whole grain penne pasta
3 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast - grilled & cut into small bite size pieces

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.  Add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packages directions; drain and place back into the pot.  Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the spinach, parmesan, tomatoes, and chicken.  Toss well until the spinach has wilted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve hot.  Enjoy!

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