Creamy Pesto Chicken Spinach Orzo Dinner Food

CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN & SPINACH ORZO DINNER

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large dish. Drizzle with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings and rub them in. Make sure everything is evenly coated on the chicken.
• In a large skillet, add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and turn heat to medium-high. Once oil is warm, carefully add the chicken and cook until chicken is browned and no loner pink inside (approx. 2-3 minutes per side). Place cooked chicken on a plate and set aside.
• In a large pot, boil water and cook orzo according to package. Once it's done, drain well and return it to the same pot. Do not rinse the orzo.
• Add the chopped spinach to the orzo. Mix it together and let it sit for a minute, so that the heat from the pasta begins to cook down the spinach. While that sits, begin the sauce.
• In the same skillet used to cook the chicken, add the garlic and cook over medium heat for about a minute. Then, add the heavy cream, pesto, and Parmesan cheese to the pan. Mix it all together and cook over medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently during this process. When done, turn off heat and leave it there.
• Grab the plate of chicken and chop into smaller pieces. (You could also leave them as is, if you want.) Then, add the chicken to the pot with the orzo.Pour pesto sauce on top and mix everything together. Serve immediately and top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

CREAMY ORZO

Steps:

• Bring a heavy large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas. Add the orzo and toss to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the Parmesan to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Stir the pasta mixture until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to maintain a creamy consistency. Season the orzo with salt and pepper, and serve.

CREAMY SPINACH CHICKEN DINNER

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and stir chicken and onion in oil for 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. , Stir in soup and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach, cheese and pepper; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted. , Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat.