Pasta and Chicken with Mushroom/Wine Sauce

    • 4 small boneless chicken breasts (or 2 large, halved horizontally)
    • Flour, for dredging (about 1 cup)
    • salt and pepper
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/4 lb pancetta, very thinly sliced
    • 1/2 lb assorted mushrooms
    • 3/4 cup red wine
    • 1 cup chicken stock (plus 1 tablespoon)
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup chopped spinach
    • 8 oz bowtie (farfalle) pasta, cooked al dente according to direction on box
    • chopped parsley, for garnish

-preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange

pancetta slices on the parchment. Bake for 15 minutes, until crispy.

-Pound chicken to even thickness.

-Boil a large (6 to 8 quart) pot of salted water, cook pasta according to directions.

-Heat oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat.

-Place flour in a shallow dish; stir in salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of each).

-Dredge chicken (both sides) in flour mixture; shake off excess. Sauté in oil, 4 to 5

minutes per side until cooked and golden. Remove chicken to a plate.

-Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper to skillet. Stirring frequently, sauté

until they loose their liquid and soften, about 5 minutes.

-Add wine; stir to deglaze the pan, scraping all the bits off the bottom of the skillet.

-Stir in one cup of chicken stock; add corn starch to the remaining tablespoon of

stock. Stir cornstarch mixture into the skillet to thicken the sauce.

-When sauce has thickened, stir in the butter. When butter has melted, turn off the

heat and stir in the spinach. Add the chicken back into the skillet, flipping both

sides to reheat.

-Drain prepared pasta; arrange on a platter, pouring the sauce onto the pasta and

topping with the chicken. Crumble the crispy pancetta on top and sprinkle with

parsley. Serve immediately.