This is one of Luke's favorites, and I'll have to say the starring ingredient is the alfredo sauce, which is homemade. Of course if you're pressed for time, you can always just buy a jar of sauce, but the homemade sauce is easier than you might think, and so worth the few extra minutes making! I have no idea where I found the recipe other than it was in one of Luke's mom's magazines or cookbooks. You can use any type of pasta you like; we like either short pasta like farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli (twirly pasta, in the picture below), or sometimes we'll use fettuccine. This recipe serves two, so it's easily multiplied. It's also one of my "don't measure" recipes (apart from the sauce) so sorry the first part is a little unstructured.

Chicken & Spinach Alfredo
1 chicken breast half, cut into cubes
Pasta (When I'm serving just a pasta dish, I add a little more pasta than what's recommended for 2 servings)
Frozen spinach (If using fresh, chop it up)
Spices (I use lemon pepper, garlic salt & onion powder)
Olive oil
Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows)


Get the pasta water boiling first, and then start the alfredo sauce. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the chicken and saute until opaque. When it's cooked almost through, add seasonings to taste, around 1 heaping teaspoon of each. Add about two handfuls of frozen spinach. The spinach will pick up spices that the chicken leaves behind in the pan.

Combine the chicken & spinach mixture with the cooked pasta. Separate into two pasta or salad bowls and pour the finished alfredo sauce over. I like to sprinkle with a little grated Parmesan on top.

Alfredo Sauce
3 oz butter
1 1/2 c. Parmesan
1 1/4 c. heavy cream
3 T. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 T. dried)

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add Parmesan and cream, increasing heat to medium. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is completely melted. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste; stir until combined. Serve immediately.