Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

We're 4-0. Not that the record tells you anything about the weight of a season, but four wins in four games is four wins in four games and I'll take the evidence that the work of the summer is showing up in games. We won 42-21 Friday — high-scoring, fast, the offense running the way I've been designing it since January. Good football is satisfying the way good cooking is satisfying: you put in the time, you use the right ingredients, and the thing comes out the way it was supposed to and you can look at it and say, yes, that was the right process. Not everything is that legible. I appreciate when it is.

I've been cooking almost every night since I got back from Las Cruces, which is evidence of something. The frozen chile is stocked. The house smells right. I made green chile stew on Sunday — the full version, the way Gloria makes it, with pork shoulder and potatoes and green chile and garlic — and it came out the way it should come out, which is to say it tasted like Sunday afternoon and like the smell of the roasting drum and like the fact that the people who showed me how to make this are still here and I can still call them and they pick up. I ate two bowls. Lisa ate one and a half, which for her is practically a banquet.

The twins started kindergarten this week. Five years old and the house has a different rhythm on school mornings now, slightly more organized, slightly louder in preparation and quieter once the door closes. Marco wore his new shoes for six minutes before they were covered in playground dirt. Elena came home with a detailed account of everything that happened in class, organized by time. They are who they are already, completely and unmistakably, and watching them is the most informative ongoing experiment in human nature I've ever observed.

Season is at the halfway point. The dog tags are warm. We're still here.

The green chile stew carries Sunday afternoon. But on the weeknights — when the twins come home loud and then suddenly the house goes quiet and the season’s halfway through and you still have to feed people — you want something that works fast and tastes like effort. This garlic chicken pasta with spinach is that dish: garlic-forward, warm, ready before the homework is done. Good football and good cooking both come down to using the right ingredients in the right order, and this one never misses.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining, then drain and set aside.
Season the chicken. Pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 5—6 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Build the garlic base. Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for about 60 seconds until fragrant — do not let it brown.
Add liquid and simmer. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Simmer 3—4 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly.
Wilt the spinach. Add fresh spinach to the skillet and stir until just wilted, about 1—2 minutes.
Combine. Return the chicken and drained pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce as needed.
Finish with Parmesan. Remove from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach — The Meal That Showed Up After a Good Week