This recipe is apparently a copycat of a dish that Olive Garden occasionally serves and that does not surprise me at all. This dish tasted like it came straight from Olive Garden, that's how delicious it was. It also has high nutritional numbers to go with it, like lots of restaurant dishes.
My solution for the high nutritional numbers was simple. Instead of serving 4, I made it serve 8. So instead of eating a whole chicken breast and 1/4 pound of noodles per person, we ate 1/2 a chicken breast and 1/8 pound of noodles. I served this along with a nice side salad and nobody went hungry. Even better we all got to enjoy this delicious meal again a few nights later.
Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup fat free milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 pound fettuccine noodles
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray or line with a silpat.
- In a shallow combine flour, pepper, basil and oregano.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil until hot.
- Dip each chicken breast in flour mixture and coat very well. Then immediately place the chicken into the hot oil. Cook until each side of chicken breast is golden brown, but do not cook all the way through.
- When the chicken is browned place on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until cooked completely.
- While the chicken is cooking, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain well.
- Clean out the skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
- Cook the pepper and garlic for about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Add in the chicken broth and bring to a light simmer, whisking constantly until it start to thicken, about 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Add in the spinach, cream and milk to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and continue to cook until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese.
- Add half of the sauce to the noodles mixing to coat.
- Top the noodles with chicken and then remaining sauce.
Serves: 4
Calories: 1090.3
Total Fat: 39.7g
Saturated: 13.5g
Polyunsaturated: 1.9g
Monounsaturated: 12.5g
Trans: 0g
Cholesterol: 201.2mg
Sodium: 935.1mg
Potassium: 251.4mg
Total Carbs: 104.1g
Dietary Fiber: 6.0g
Sugars: 10.6g
Protein: 78.1g
Vitamin A: 61.2%
Vitamin C: 72.1%
Calcium: 43.8%
Iron: 26.8%
*The nutritional information will vary slightly depending on the brands you use.
*Adapted from The Recipe Critic.
