Healthy Helpings – Stuffed Chicken with Vegetables and Lemon Basil Pasta

I tried this recipe last week, and it got a thumbs up from my mom and my 12 year old. Tara had her pasta the “normal” way, but she loved the stuffed chicken.

Stuffed Chicken with Vegetables and Lemon Basil Pasta
From Clean Eating
Serves 4, Hands on Time: 20 min, Total Time – 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1/2 c onion, chopped
  • 1 c loosely packed spinach, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, cored & diced, divided
  • 2 tbps bread crumbs
  • 1/2 pkg whole wheat spagetti (I used Barilla Plus Angel Hair)
  • 4 4 oz boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
  • 4 tbps fresh basil, finely minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 1 1/2 tbsp parm cheese grated
  • Salt and pepper to taste… I found it needed salt when I served.

Instructions
Heat a large non stick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Mist with cooking spary and add onion, spinach ONE garlic clove and ONE tomato. Saute for 5 min or until just cooked. Remove from heat, mix in bread crumbs, set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions.

To stuff chicken, place 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp vegetable-bread crumb mixture in the middle of each piece of chicken. Fold chicken over filling and secure with toothpicks.

Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 2 min. Mist with cooking spray. Place stuffed chicken into pan and cook until golden brown on each side (about 3-4 min per side)

Drain pasta when finished cooking, then put back in the pot and toss with basil, oil, lemon juice and zest, add remaining 3 cloves of garlic.

To serve garnish pasta with remaining tomatoes and parmesean cheese.

(my rolls are a little “messy”, I had picked up chicken tenders instead of breasts, so I was working with small pieces of chicken!)

Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Post it to your blog, and be sure to come back here and add it to Mcklinky! Thanks for stopping by!