Spinach and Chicken with Gnocchi

This is one of those quick and easy “meals mostly from the pantry” dinners. It’s my own recipe, so I have very few specific amounts. If you’re comfortable winging it in the kitchen, this is a very straight forward and tasty meal. In fact, Chuck asked me to write it down!

Onions - diced
Garlic - crushed
Olive Oil
Red Wine
Sherry
Stewed Tomatoes - 15 oz can chopped - do use the juice
Marinated Artichoke Hearts - small jar drained
Box of frozen Chopped Spinach - thawed and drained
Pesto
Salt
Pepper
Hot Sauce or Pepper Flakes
Sugar - just a pinch
Ricotta Cheese - Part Skim
Chicken Breasts - thin
Potato Gnocchi (or pasta)
Asiago or Parmesan Cheese - grated


In a large pot, start salted water to boil.

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. In a large, preheated sauce pan, drizzle some olive oil. Lightly pan sear the thin chicken breasts on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to hold.
Deglaze the pan with a little sherry and red wine. Add the onion and garlic (and a little more olive oil if needed). Cook until onions have softened.
Add stewed tomatoes with their juice, the artichoke hearts and the spinach. Add some pesto. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce or pepper flakes to taste. Add a pinch of sugar, if needed, to balance out the flavors. Simmer. Add a couple of heaping spoons of ricotta cheese to the sauce and stir to combine.

Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Add the gnocchi to the pot of boiling, salted water and cook according to directions. The kind we buy cooks very quickly.

Drain the cooked gnocchi.

Plate the chicken and gnocchi and then spoon the sauce over both. Add some grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese. Serve with a red wine such as a pinot noir or chianti. Enjoy!