By Second week back and the floor is finding its post-surge rhythm, which is different from the pre-surge rhythm but is a rhythm. The COVID patients who overlap with oncology patients are a specific category that requires a specific attention—immune-compromised people who have the additional exposure, the risk on top of the existing risk. We manage it case by case. James has become very good at this. I notice. I tell him. He receives it with the quiet satisfaction of someone who was working hard in the dark for months and is glad to have it witnessed.
My mother has Nora on my work days now, the same arrangement as with Liam. The handoffs are the same: the seven-fifteen drop, the drive to the hospital, the parking spot, the badge. What's different: I have a two-year-old and a two-month-old and a pandemic and a floor that's been through something, and I came back to all of it simultaneously. I'm managing. I know how to manage. I'm tired in the bone-deep way that I also have a deep familiarity with at this point.
Liam has started something new at dinner. He says "good dinner, Mama" or "good dinner, Daddy" depending on who cooked, at the end of every meal that has met his standard. He delivers this assessment with the gravity of a restaurant critic who has done the work and has a verdict. We've started thanking him when he says it. He accepts the thanks with appropriate solemnity.
Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach on Thursday, quick enough for a work night. "Good dinner, Mama," Liam said. Noted. Filed. Appreciated.
That Thursday pasta—the one that earned Liam’s solemn two-year-old approval—has become a regular in our rotation for exactly this reason: it’s fast enough for a night when I’ve already given everything I have, and it tastes like I made an effort. The sun-dried tomatoes do most of the work, honestly. I threw in spinach because it was there, and the whole thing came together in the time it took my husband to do bath. “Good dinner, Mama.” Filed.
Creamy Pasta with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), drained and roughly chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Set aside.
- Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6—8 minutes until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic to the same skillet and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer and thicken. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat for 3—4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Add spinach and Parmesan. Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 1—2 minutes until wilted. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted and smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time.
- Combine and serve. Return the chicken to the skillet, then add the drained pasta. Toss everything together until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 540 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 54g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 470mg