Vikki's "Award Winning" Tuscan Garlic Chicken

This recipe won 1st place at the Wood Palace Kitchens Recipe contest in 2017.  Chef Alex from La Familia Restaurant in Taunton, MA prepared this as a special there for the week.  When made at the restaurant, the chicken was cut into pieces and mixed with the pasta before serving, which was an excellent way to serve this dish also.

1 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tbsp.
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
•1 pkg Good Seasons Italian Dressing Packet
• 3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast (pound it out until thin)
• Approximately 3 oz. olive oil divided
• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped (I added more)
• 1 red pepper, julienne cut
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 lb. whole leaf spinach, stemmed
• 12 oz. heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Some chicken base or chicken granules.

Preparing the Chicken:
• Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, pepper and Italian dressing seasoning in shallow dish.
• Dredge chicken mixture, shaking off excess.
• Sauté chicken in batches, in a large, non-stick skillet (preferably oven proof)
• with enough oil to coat over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes each side or until
golden and crisp.
• Transfer the skillet to a 350 degree oven and cook for 15 minutes. (My skillet wasn't big
enough for all the pieces of chicken to put right in the oven, so I sprayed a cookie sheet
and placed the chicken on it)

Prepare the pasta until al dente.

Preparing the sauce:
• Heat about an ounce of olive oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook
for about a minute.
• Slowly add 1 tbsp. of flour and combine with garlic and red pepper.
• Add the white wine and bring to a boil for 1 minute. At this stage, I usually add a tiny bit of chicken base (chicken granules will do) if I feel the sauce needs a little more flavor. Add the spinach and cream and
bring to a boil. The sauce is done when the spinach becomes wilted.
• Stir in Parmesan cheese.

To serve:
Partly coat the pasta with the sauce. Transfer to a large bowl or individual
dishes and then top with the chicken, the remaining sauce and some extra
Parmesan cheese.