Lemon Chicken Linguine

This pasta dish has become a household favorite. The feta cheese gives it a nice creamy texture while the lemon juice and peppers add a lot of flavor depth. This dish is simple to add into any weekly menu. We paired it with a nice Italian salad and sour dough bread. Enjoy!

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1/4 of dish

Ingredients:

• 10oz linguine
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion – chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper – sliced thin
• 10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts – diced
• 5oz baby spinach
• 1 cup [115g] feta cheese
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a 12-inch skillet with water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Add linguine, cook uncovered until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve 1 cup pasta juice, set aside. Drain noodles, to prevent additional cooking spray with cold water. Set aside.
2. Return now empty skillet to stove top, add olive oil, onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is soft. Add chicken, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Stir occasionally, cook until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165*F – use reserve pasta juice as needed to scrap brown bits off pan.
3. Once chicken is cooked, add spinach a handful at time until wilted. Return linguine to pan, add feta cheese, lemon juice and red pepper flakes – toss to combine well and allow cheese to melt. Add additional salt, pepper and lemon juice as desired. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:
Per serving: Calories: 495; Total Fat: 13g;  Cholesterol: 56mg; Sodium: 425mg; Total Carbohydrates: 63g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 8g; Protein: 33g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 343mg; Vitamin A: 217%; Vitamin C: 66%; Calcium: 50%; Iron: 16%

Modified from: Snyder, Carla. “Linguine with Chicken, Spinach and Feta Cheese.” Recipe. One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC, 2013. 26-27. Print