Pasta and a pan sauce....

Tonight I was all about a quick, easy, healthy meal - but I was craving carbs. My favorite thing to do when I need a combination like this is to whip up a pasta dish. Two pieces of equipment that you need: a pot to boil the noodles and a frying pan to make a quick sauce. For two people, I use two cups of pasta (whatever kind you prefer). Then, go crazy with whatever you have in the fridge to make your pan sauce! This is how I made tonight's pan sauce:

• Bake two chicken breasts for 15 minutes at 375 degrees
• Bring noodles to a boil
• 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. butter
• Add a handful of thinly sliced red onion to the pan, pinch of salt and pepper, cook until softened
• Add 1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper and 1 tbsp. garlic, and 1 tbsp. capers saute for about 1 minute
• Add sliced, cooked chicken to the pan
• Add 1/4 cup of white wine (whatever you are drinking!), bring to a simmer and reduce for 1-2 minutes
• Add 1/2 bag of fresh spinach to the top of the pan, let sit 2 minutes or until wilted
• Add noodles right from boiling water to the pan (the starch from the wet noodles will thicken the sauce), toss
• Toss with fresh basil and serve

Again, this is what I had readily available to me - the onion was already sliced from a previous dinner, and I always keep jarred roasted red peppers, garlic and capers around to whip up quick pasta dishes like these. It's a gourmet dish with little fuss. Serve with some pinot grigio or your favorite white wine and you are good to go!