A quick weeknight dinner that speaks to both sides of your food cravings, those for healthy vegetables and for rich comfort food. A simple Alfredo sauce covers pasta, Cajun-spiced chicken, browned mushrooms and charred greens for a nutritious and decadent dinner
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
1lbboneless skinless chicken thighs*
2Tbcajun seasoning
1box fettucine
1bunch collard greens
8ozbaby portabella mushrooms
½yellow onion
2garlic cloves
2Cheavy cream
1Cshredded parmesanplus more for garnish
1tspfresh thyme
2lemons
3Tbbutter
1Tbolive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking sheet prepared with nonstick foil for easy cleanup. Season chicken liberally with Cajun seasoning. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Prepare the remaining ingredients while the chicken cooks.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Heat a small cast-iron or nonstick pan over medium-high heat until smoking hot. Cut the lemons in half and place them flesh side down on the hot pan. Char the lemons for 5-6 minutes or until blackened.
Remove the greens from the stem and tear into 2-inch strips. Place in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Toss the greens around in the cold water and let them sit for a few minutes. The sand will settle at the bottom of the bowl and the leaves will stay at the top. Remove the leaves and place in a strainer to dry.
Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel to remove any apparent dirt. Slice the mushrooms into quarter-inch slices. Heat 2 Tb butter and 1 Tb olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Toss to coat in oil and then leave undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown. Once the first side is brown, stir to flip the slices over. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Once the mushrooms are well browned, add the strained greens on top of the mushrooms and place a lid or foil over the pan to let the greens steam for 2 minutes. Once steamed, stir the greens and mushrooms together. Cook for another 5-6 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the greens have started to char or brown.
Remove the shrooms and greens from the pan and set aside. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the thyme leaves from the stem ang roughly chop.
Add 1 Tb of butter to the pan. Once melted, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cooks for another 60 seconds. Add the heavy cream and thyme and bring to a low boil. Let the cream to reduce for 7-8 minutes or until it easily coats the back of a wooden spoon. Add the grated cheese and stir well to combine and the cheese is completely melted.
As the cream reduces, cut the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces. When the sauce is ready, add the chicken, mushrooms, greens, and pasta and toss well to combine. Garnish with parmesan.
Notes
*If you prefer white meat, boneless skinless chicken breasts can be substituted. Adjust the cook time depending on the thickness of the breast. The thin-sliced breasts usually cook in about 15 minutes. You could also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make this recipe super speedy.