Creamy Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms and Spinach

Merry Christmas! I am finally home in Hong Kong for Christmas :D I survived the 16 hours flight from Toronto to HK, it was such a pain and I think I am getting sick again!! The consequence of lack of sleep from the past week... oh well... I hate getting sick again! This is gonna be 3 weeks of intense eating out vacation yay! Yummy dim sum, xmas buffet, the bagel place at Sheung Wan, wonton noodles, egg tart, Hong Kong McDonalds (best in the world), waaaahhhhh... Can't wait! And I have just come back from a buffet, so full and satisfied! 

So, here I want to share a recipe of creamy chicken pasta. I had a potluck Christmas Party with church friends on the day before I left Montreal. Due to the time limitation, I made a pasta dish. People who knows me should know how I don't usually make pasta because I get sick of pasta very easily. But I have to say, this was a hit at the potluck! The taste of mushroom is strong, the chickens are moist and tender and the cream sauce is not too heavy. The chili powder adds a little bit spicy to the dish that i actually like! (but I put only half of the original amount of chili powder) Another change that I have made is adding a lot more garlic. This is a simple and tasty white sauce pasta recipe from scratch. 

Recipes adapted from Handle the Heat

Servings for 2

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

5 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

10 medium button mushrooms, sliced

3 teaspoons flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup packed baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cup dried penne

1) Dice the chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Once hot, cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from skillet.

2) Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and mushrooms to skillet; cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn garlic. Then, whisk in flour. Reduce heat to low and whisk in heavy cream.

3) Stir in spinach, allowing it to wilt slightly. Stir in cooked pasta. Thoroughly mix together before serving.