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Lemon Chicken, Asparagus and Spinach Orzo Pasta

The pasta in this easy to cook dish soaks up the flavours of the chicken and asparagus to give a tasty satisfying meal. Comfort food at its best.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

You’ll need:

 4 tsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces

2 banana shallots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

200g orzo

500ml chicken stock (approx)

1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed and cut into pieces

Zest and juice of a lemon

115g bag baby spinach

3 tbsp grated parmesan plus extra for serving

What to do:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan.  Season the chicken and add to the pan, frying until golden all over.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set to one side.

Add another 2 tsp olive oil to the pan and sauté the shallots and garlic for a couple of minutes, until starting to soften. Add the orzo, give it a good stir and then add the stock.  Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for five minutes.

Add the asparagus, put the lid back on and simmer for another five minutes.

Add the lemon juice and zest, cooked chicken and the spinach and cook for a further few minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the spinach is just wilted.

Stir through the parmesan cheese and serve with extra on the side.

Note:  Switch the chicken for cooked prawns, or used sauteed mushrooms as an alternative to the chicken. Add frozen peas when wilting the spinach to add more vegetables, too.

Recipe courtesy of Enjoy Asparagus

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Melina - Assistant Editor

Hi I'm Melina, a mother of 3 teenage children and with a particular interest in all things health related. I run a busy household and smallholding alongside my work with Silversurfers, which currently includes dogs, fish, hens, ducks and pigs!

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