Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts - sliced in half thinly

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp porcini mushroom powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground thyme

2 Tbsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for cooking chicken)

1.5 C halved cherry tomatoes

3 garlic cloves - roughly chopped

12 oz bag of fresh spinach (frozen and thawed works too)

Zest of half a lemon

1/2 C chicken stock

1 quart heavy cream

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

16 oz Dried Fettuccine

Preparation

No more bland, boring chicken alfredo!

1. In a large bowl, mix together paprika through olive oil and then add the sliced chicken. Make sure to mix the chicken so that each piece is thoroughly coated. Refrigerate 1-4 hours.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook fettuccini for about 1 minute less than al dente or recommended on the box. Save 1 C of pasta water.

3. Heat a pan over medium heat and add enough oil (something neutral like olive, canola, grape seed) to cover the bottom of the pan. When your pan is hot, add the chicken and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Remove from pan and set aside. The spices will turn black but that is okay! Do not wipe away oil or spices after cooking chicken!

4. Immediately after removing chicken, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for ~1 minute while constantly stirring (you don’t want the garlic to burn).

5. Add the spinach, lemon zest, and chicken stock and (scrape the bottom of the pan to get all that flavor!) cook until spinach is wilted.

6. Add the cream and simmer for a few minutes (the longer it simmers, the thicker the sauce).

7. Lastly, add the cheese, cooked pasta and reserved pasta water and mix thoroughly while cooking for about 1 minute. The chicken can be sliced and added to the pasta at this time or served on top. Serve with some more cheese and enjoy!