Lemon Ricotta Chicken Pasta

  Once again I found a great recipe from Nancy McCord.  Somehow I have found myself looking for pasta recipes that don't just use tomato sauce.  This recipe brought together some flavors that go together very well.  Here is the recipe:

Lemon Ricotta Parmesan Pasta with Spinach and Grilled Chicken

Yield: About 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 lb dry linguine, fettucine or spaghetti
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reserved pasta water
6 oz fresh baby spinach, steamed just until beginning to wilt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta
1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions
Saute chicken and garlic

Cook pasta in salted water according to directions listed on package, reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining pasta.

Drain water (reserve 1 cup) and return pasta to pot. Set pot over medium-low heat and add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ricotta, 1/2 cup hot reserved pasta water and parmesan and toss to evenly coat. Add in more pasta water as desired to thin and season with salt and pepper to taste, cook and toss, about 2 minutes, until ricotta is heated through. Toss in spinach and grilled chicken. Serve warm topped with more parmesan if desired.

P.S.
    I added a couple of teaspoons of real butter to the warm pasta to cut some of the dryness of the dish and who doesn't think that butter makes anything taste better?

#hocofood