Recipe: Skinny Chicken Florentine
You'll love making this Skinny Chicken Florentine. It’s simple, delicious and low-calorie. [...]
You'll love making this Skinny Chicken Florentine. It's simple, delicious and low-calorie. Skinny swaps like whole-wheat linguine, low-fat cheese, low-sodium chicken broth and healthy spinach turn a calorie-laden comfort meal into a healthy and satisfying supper. Plus, there's enough protein packed in for the mightiest of workouts!
Recipe: Skinny Chicken Florentine
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 18-20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces whole-wheat linguine pasta, dry
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed with excess moisture squeezed out
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package directions for al dente. Reserve ¼ to ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Season the chicken with the salt and black pepper to taste and add to the skillet. Cook until done, 2-3 minutes on each side, and reserve the cooked chicken on a plate.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spinach and set aside.
- In the same skillet the chicken was cooked in, over medium heat add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Increase the heat to high and whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Continuing cooking for 4-6 minutes, or until thickened.
- Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the lemon juice, cheese and spinach mixture, and stir until smooth and incorporated.
- Add in the reserved chicken and drained linguine pasta. Thin the sauce with 1 tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time if needed.
- Gently toss the linguine and chicken together to evenly coat in the sauce, and serve.
Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (1 cup)
Calories: 334
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 62mg
Sodium: 411mg
Carbohydrates: 31g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 29g
WWP+: 10
SmartPoints: 9
The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.