Ingredients
Coarse salt
1/2 cup penne rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 cups baby spinach (3 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook penne until al dente, adding chicken during last 2 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and chicken; return to pot.
To pot, add tomato, tomato paste, garlic, oil, red-pepper flakes, and spinach; season with salt. Cook over medium, tossing, until spinach is barely wilted, about 1 minute. Remove pot from heat; stir in lemon juice and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve immediately.
