Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Seared chicken breasts in a cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, tossed with penne — the kind of plate that reads like a restaurant order and costs about $2.55 a serving. The sauce is only four things: a little of the sun-dried tomato oil, heavy cream, parmesan, and spinach, which wilts into it in about a minute. Chicken breasts are the most expensive part of this recipe, so buy them when they are on sale and freeze what you do not use. Thirty minutes, one skillet and one pot, roughly $10.21 for four. It is a good dinner for guests you did not plan for, and the sauce forgives a few extra minutes on the stove.
30 min
4
$10.21
$2.55
Ingredients
Estimated Aldi prices for the amount this dinner uses, based on regular shelf prices and the current weekly ad.
Steps
- 1Cook the penne to al dente in salted boiling water; drain.
- 2Season the chicken with salt and pepper; sear in a skillet with a little oil 5–6 minutes per side until 165°F; remove and slice.
- 3Lower heat to medium; add the sun-dried tomatoes and a splash of their oil; cook 1 minute.
- 4Pour in the cream and bring to a gentle simmer; add the spinach and let wilt 1 minute.
- 5Stir in the parmesan until melted, then return the chicken to the pan to warm through.
- 6Toss with the pasta and serve immediately.
Tips & swaps
- Boneless thighs cost less and stay juicy — sear them a minute or two longer.
- Half-and-half, or whole milk with a spoon of butter, can stand in for the cream.
- Frozen chopped spinach works; squeeze it dry before it goes into the sauce.
- Leftover sauce is excellent spooned over baked potatoes or roasted vegetables.
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Put Creamy Tuscan Chicken into your week
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