Chicken-and-Spinach Involtini

Test Kitchen

Very High Fibre

Discovery

New

Chicken-and-Spinach Involtini

with Pesto-Mushroom Linguine

10 min

Difficulty: 1/3

Canadian

Ingredients: Chicken breasts • Linguine (wheat) (durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulphate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) • Spinach • Basil pesto (milk) (basil (basil leaves, sunflower oil, salt, ascorbic acid), water, soy oil, canola & extra virgin olive oil, potato flakes, parsley, sunflower seeds, garlic, parmesan cheese (milk, bacterial culture, salt, lipase, calcium chloride, rennet/ microbial enzyme, powdered cellulose), salt, spices, modified corn starch, nutritional yeast, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate) • 35% Cream (milk) (cream, milk, dextrose, cellulose gel, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, cellulose gum, polysorbate 80, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate) • Parmesan cheese (milk) (pasteurized milk, modified milk ingredients, water, modified corn starch and/or potato starch, cheese (milk, bacterial culture, salt, microbial enzyme, lipase), salt, citric acid, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, flavour, sodium citrate, potassium sorbate, caramel colour, beta-carotene, anticaking blend (potato starch, corn starch, dextrose, calcium sulfate, cellulose, natamycin, enzyme)) • Italian breadcrumbs (barley, milk, oats, rye, sesame, soy, wheat) (toasted bread crumbs [enriched flour, (wheat flour, malted barley, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, water, yeast, salt, sugars (brown sugar, honey, molasses, sugar, dextrose), wheat gluten, whey, soy flour, rye flour, corn flour, oat bran, corn meal, cornstarch, rice flour, potato flour, butter, dough conditioners (mono and diglycerides, sodium and/or calcium stearoyl lactylate, soy lecithin, calcium carbonate, ascorbic acid), yeast nutrients (ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), distilled vinegar, skim milk, buttermilk, citric acid, grain vinegar, datem, potassium iodate, guar gum, calcium phosphate, lactic acid, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, sesame seeds], salt, imported pecorino romano cheese (sheep’s milk, salt, rennet), spices, natural & artificial flavor, garlic, onion and parsley) • Wooden skewers • Garlic.

Allergens

Barley

Oats

Rye

Triticale

Soy

Mustard

Wheat

Milk

Sulphites

Crustaceans

Egg

May contain traces of allergens

Peanuts

Sesame

Tree nuts

Fish

Tags

Very High Fibre

Classic-plates

Regional-specialty

Discovery

New

Date-night

New Technique

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts

2 unit(s)

Baby Spinach

113 g

Italian Breadcrumbs

2 tbsp

Linguine

170 g

Basil Pesto

0.25 cup

Parmesan Cheese, shredded

0.25 cup

Garlic, cloves

3 unit(s)

Wooden Skewers

6 unit(s)

Cream

56 mL

Butter

4 tbsp

Salt

0.125 tsp

Pepper

0.125 tsp

Preparation

Before starting, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high (use same for 4 servings). Wash and dry all produce.
Roughly chop spinach.
Peel, then mince or grate garlic.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium. When hot add 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) butter, then half the spinach and half the garlic. Cook for 2-3 min, stirring often, until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer cooked spinach to a plate and spread out evenly. Allow to cool for 2-3 min.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
On a clean cutting board, cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan, pound each chicken breast until 1/4-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide spinach over each breast, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Starting at the bottom of each chicken breast, roll up and over the filling.
Secure the seam with one or two skewers.

Reheat the large non-stick pan over medium-high. When hot, add 1/2 tbsp (1 tbsp) oil, then add chicken involtini, skewer-sides up. Pan-fry for 2-3 min, until golden.
Remove the pan from heat. Transfer involtinis to a baking sheet, skewer-sides down. Bake for 10-12 min in the middle of the oven, until chicken is cooked through.**

To the boiling water, add linguine. Cook for 10-13 min, until tender but still firm to the bite. Reserve 1/2 cup (1 cup) pasta water. Strain linguine, then return to the pot, off heat.
When pasta is almost done, reheat the large non-stick pan over medium. When hot, add 2 tbsp (4 tbsp) butter, then the remaining spinach and remaining garlic. Cook for 3-4 min, stirring often, until tender.
Add pesto, cream, pasta and reserved pasta water. Cook for 1 min, stirring often, until combined.