Bowtie Chicken Parmigiana

This recipe easily doubles as a vegetarian dish. If you'd like to make it a vegan recipe, I suggest adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan (or, simply use whey/dairy-free cheese).

Serves 4

 Ingredients:

• 8 oz chicken, cut into ½ in. cubes (optional)
• 1 can lower-sodium diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 fresh basil leaves
• 3 c spinach
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ white onion
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• ¼ c parmesan

Directions:

1: In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. 

2: In a food processor, add diced tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, the basil leaves, oregano, white onion and red wine vinegar. Pulse until desired consistency.

3: Place chicken and about half a cup of water in frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

4: Rinse pan. Put the spinach and 1 clove of the garlic in the pan, along with about a ¼ c of water. Saute until wilted, 3-4 minutes.

5: Add together the chicken, spinach, and tomato sauce mixture in the pan, and cook over medium heat 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parmesan, and cook until melted and mixed into the sauce.

6:  If desired, toss mixture with al dente pasta (I like to keep mine separate). Serve immediately.