Rice Pasta with Kale, Chicken, and Spinach

After a workout (today it was a long bike ride along Chicago's lakefront path), my favorite meal has always been some version of this pasta. I've had this in many variations over the years. Today's version featured rice pasta with kale, chicken, and spinach.

Here's how my pasta came together:

• 1/2 cup uncooked rice pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups packed fresh, prewashed kale
• 1/2 cup chopped chicken, precooked
• 1 cup loose fresh, prewashed spinach
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1-1/2 tablespoons jarred pesto sauce

As soon as I put the pasta into its boiling water, I heated a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Then I added the minced garlic and sauteed for about one minute.

Add the kale, and about 1/3 cup of the pasta water and the chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Right about now, the pasta is done. Drain and add to the frying pan. Add the pesto sauce and stir to coat. I still had a little pasta water in the pan from cooking the kale, which was perfect; it helps create the sauce with the pesto.

Then add the spinach leaves and feta and stir to coat. Cover and simmer over very light heat for one minute.

Uncover, season with a little freshly ground pepper, and serve!

I probably used too much kale, but can one really have too many leafy greens at one meal? I didn't think so. The feta added just the right amount of tang to the smoothness of the pesto pasta and the slight bitterness of the kale. Another successful, post-workout meal!

I hope this inspired some healthy eating after your workout.

With lots of veggies,
HealthyErika