Creamy Asparagus & Walnut Pasta

Adapted from Food 52

 

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti
1 lb. asparagus
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp lemon juice
Parmesan cheese for garnish
¼ c. walnuts, chopped

Directions
1. Cook pasta. Reserve 1 ¼ cups water. 
 
2. Meanwhile, cut off asparagus ends, and cut the remaining spears into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Heat garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add asparagus to the pan and 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook 5-8 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.

3. Using an emersion blender or food processor, blend 1/3 of the cooked asparagus and ¼ cup reserved pasta water.

4. Combine asparagus sauce, remaining cooked asparagus, and pasta. Stir in lemon juice and parmesan; adding additional pasta water to keep sauce loose as necessary. Heat until warmed through, top with chopped walnuts, and serve.

Brown Butter Chicken Fettuccine

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

 

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Salt & pepper, to taste

½ tsp paprika

1 ½ Tbsp canola oil

6 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup dry white wine

8-oz noodle pasta

2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Directions

1. Heat oil a large skillet over medium-high heat; season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook 8-10 minutes until fully cooked; plate and set aside.

 

2. Reduce skillet heat to low. Melt ½ Tbsp butter and caramelize onions, taking about 15 minutes. Once onions are caramelized, add wine and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

 

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta. Also heat small saucepan over low heat, and melt remaining 5 Tbsp butter. Whisk until butter has brown bits on the bottom, then immediately remove from heat.

 

4. Once pasta is cooked, combine pasta, onions, butter sauce, and parmesan cheese.

Rigatoni with Spinach & Spicy Sausage

Adapted from Barbara Bakes

 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 lbs ground chicken sausage

28-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice

28-oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree

8-oz. rigatoni

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain drippings from pot.

 

2. Add diced tomatoes with juice, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes; increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

 

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta.

 

4. Stir pasta and spinach into tomato sauce. Simmer until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

One Pan Tortellini & Sausage with Tomato Cream Sauce

Adapted from Yellow Bliss Road

 

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 pound package of smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 small onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
20-oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
28-oz diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
1-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded jack cheese
 
Directions
1. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook until browned on both sides.

2. Stir in chicken broth, tortellini, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until pasta is tender, stirring at least once to prevent sticking. If there is too much liquid left in the pan, spoon some out. But be sure to leave enough behind to make the sauce.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna

 

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

 

Prep Time: 15 min / Cook time: 55 min

 

Ingredients

1 ½ lb. ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

6-oz can tomato paste

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

Dash cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

24-oz can tomato sauce

14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, drained

15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Salt & pepper, to taste

9-12 lasagna noodles (either no-boil, or cook and drain regular noodles)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

8-oz cream cheese

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9X13-inch pan.

 

2. Brown ground turkey and onion over medium heat in a large skillet until cooked through.  Drain grease. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans, and corn. Mix well, season with salt and pepper, and heat for about 5 minutes.

 

3. Cover bottom of prepare pan with a thin layer of the sauce mixture.  Layer 3-4 noodles over the sauce, spread 1/3^rd of the sauce mixture over the noodles, and then spread 1/3^rd of the sour cream and cream cheese across the sauce. Top with 1/3^rd of the cheeses. Repeat two more times until all ingredients are used.

 

4. Cover with tin foil, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until lasagna is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

 

Make Ahead Directions

Assemble lasagna up to 12 hours in advance. Let the meat/sauce mixture come to room temperature before assembling. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate. Bake as directed, adding an additional 5-10 minutes.

Skillet Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Penne Pasta

Skillet Butternut Squash, Sausage, and Penne Pasta

 

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Prep time: 20 min / Cook time: 22 min 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chicken sausage, casing removed
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken broth
8 oz. ounces penne pasta
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
4 cups baby spinach
¼ tsp safe
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan, for topping
 
Directions
1. In a large nonstick skillet, combine onion, garlic, and sausage; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Plate and set aside.
 
2. In the same skillet, bring chicken broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in squash, simmer 5-7 minutes until squash and pasta are both tender. Squash will break down, and add a creaminess to the sauce. Add more liquid if mixture seems dry.

3. Stir in spinach and sage; cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts. Add sausage and onion back to the skillet; add mozzarella and stir until melted.


 
4. Remove from heat, cover and let pasta sit for 5-10 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese, and serve.

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

Adapted from Fresh Family Meals

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
3 cups chicken broth
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 small onion chopped onion
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
6 oz can of tomato paste
8 oz can tomato sauce
Italian seasoning, to taste
2 cups uncooked shell pasta
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 cup pater
Shredded Mozzarella cheese, for topping

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to the corckpot. Note, you do not need to pre-cook the turkey.

2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours , or on high for 4-5 hours.

Pepperoni Pasta Bake

This dish reminds me a lot of Pizza Spaghetti, so no surprise that it was a big hit with KK! I added a red and green pepper to the dish to sneak some veggies into our meal (and also to use them before they went bad), and it was certainly a positive addition.  I had leftover pasta mixture after filling my 2.5-qt. corningware dish, so I filled a smaller 15-oz. baking dish with the remaining pasta.  I cooked both at the same time, and it did not affect the cook time.  We paired this pasta bake with a 2010 Casa Emma Chianti Classico which is one of the vineyards we visited in Tuscany last fall.  We were thrilled to find a wine shop near Kevin’s parent’s house where Casa Emma wine is sold! As usual, KK and I both topped our servings with a generous amount of crushed red pepper flakes!

Pepperoni Pasta Bake

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Time: 55 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 lb. gemelli
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
½ tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
24-oz. jar marinara sauce
15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup Parmesan cheese
30 slides of pepperoni, sliced in half

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and cook pasta al dente according to package instructions.


2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes. Add diced peppers and cook an additional 5 minutes; onion should be translucent, and peppers should be soft.  Add garlic and oregano to the skillet and cook for 1 additional minute.  Once garlic is fragrant, remove skillet from heat.


3. Stir onion mixture marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, 1 ½ cups mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and pepperoni into the pasta.  Mix well.


4. Transfer pasta mixture into a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Cheesy Baked Bowties

For some reason, I have a hard time getting bowtie pasta cooked perfectly.  It’s either a little crunchy in the center, or too mushy on the outside.  This time, I erred on the side of caution, and left the center a bit crunchy, knowing it would likely soften up as the pasta baked (correct).  But does anyone know how I can perfect the art of cooking bowtie pasta? The original recipe seemed a bit bland (I’m noticing this as a common theme in the few Martha recipes I’ve tried recently), so I added some additional basil and red pepper flakes to enhance the taste.  Use a gentle touch when breaking up the whole tomatoes.  As I learned from experience, if you’re too forceful, you’ll end up with tomato seed and juices squirting out at  you or all over your stovetop.   As I read down the ingredient list, I knew I wouldn’t want to make/eat a salad with this dish.  Sure enough, the gooey, cheesy pasta blend was too appealing, and I wanted seconds of it instead of having a salad.   Thankfully, I added some spinach to the pasta bake, so I was able to sneak some additional nutritional value into it.  Win! To add more nutritional value to this dish, next time I’ll consider adding diced onions and/or a chopped red pepper.  Any other suggestions?

Cheesy Baked Bowties

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil, divided

2 chicken sausages, ~6 ounces

8 oz. bowtie pasta

1 clove garlic, minced

28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, in puree

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
⅛ tsp sugar
3 oz. baby spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  When water boils, preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drain cooked pasta and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook sausage on all four sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from heat and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds.  If sausage is not cooked through, return to skillet and cook, flipping until sausage is no longer pink.  Set aside with cooked pasta.

3.  Using the same saucepan, heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and sugar.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes, until thickened.  Add spinach, and continue cooking 3-4 minutes, allowing spinach to wilt.  Season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir pasta, sausage, and half the mozzarella into the sauce mixture.  Transfer to a 2.5-quart baking dish; top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.  Bake until top is lightly browned, 10-15 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing additional liquid to be absorbed by the pasta.

Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

Looks like 3DDinners sort of tapered out there about 5 months ago – whoops! I don’t have a legitimate excuse for the lack of posts... just busy at work and unmotivated to spend any more time than necessary at the computer, but KK and I have now started repeating recipes that are not on the blog.  We realized that the blog was an excellent space to collect modifications to recipes saved on Pinterest and in Gmail, so I’m going to give it another try! I probably won’t spend as much time fancifying the pictures or recapping photos (at least for now), but at least you’ll be able to see what we’re eating for dinner in Apt. 3D!

Last night we had a vegan meal.  Well, it was a vegan recipe, but then KK decided we should use a jar of Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions Classico sauce instead of something truly veggie-friendly.  I used an eggplant straight from my mother-in-law's garden.  It was 14 oz., and I managed to make 19 "meatballs" from it.  Before rolling out the "meatballs," I decided they needed additional seasoning, so I added more crushed red pepper flakes and oregano.

Vegan Eggplant Meatballs

Slightly adapted from Skinny Taste
Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup water
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp dried parsley
Cooking spray
1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Marinara sauce, as much as desired
8 oz. spaghetti (we used Perciatelli)

Directions

1. Heat ½ Tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add eggplant and ¼ cup water to the skillet, season with salt and pepper.  Stirring occasionally, cook 10-15 minutes, or until tender.  Transfer cooked eggplant to a food processor.

2. Add remaining ½ Tbsp oil to the skillet.  Cook onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add onion mixture to the food processor, along with the drained beans and parsley.  Pulse mixture until well combined and chopped; be careful not to puree the mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 375°; spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

4. Add breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes to the eggplant/bean/onion mixture; stir until just combined.  Season to taste with additional (garlic) salt and pepper.  Roll out 12-20 “meatballs,” 1 to 2-inches in diameter.  Place on prepared baking sheet and cook until firm and slightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat water and cook pasta according to package directions.  If desired, warm marinara sauce in a medium saucepan.  Serve cooked “meatballs” over pasta with marinara sauce.

Eggplant & Caramelized Onion Pasta

We celebrated Parade Day, a.k.a. Leprecon Day, a.k.a Hoboken St. Patrick's Day yesterday.  Keeping the tradition alive, I made Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole and Carbomb Cupcakes which we enjoyed with mimosas and Irish coffee.  We also had green bagels, and casseroles cooked by friends: a French toast casserole and an egg casserole with sausage and sun dried tomatoes.  Both were delicious! The city of Hoboken has tried to quell the early St. Patrick's Day festivities over the past few years, and the streets were noticeably less crowded than years past, but we still hosted a party and had a great time with our friends!

I love eggplant! If we’re out to dinner and there’s eggplant on the menu, KK is willing to bet that’s the dish I’ll order.  And he’s usually right.  In fact, I ended Parade Day with dinner at Cafe Michelina last night and ordered eggplant parm.  As with the Spinach & Eggplant Casserole I made in Hilton Head, the eggplant adds volume and filling-ness (I’ve just made up a word) to this meal.  The original recipe focused on getting the eggplant started before the pasta, but I recommend (and have noted below) you start with the onions, giving them plenty of time to caramelize over medium-low heat.  Slice the onions as thin as you possibly can – using a mandolin works best! I’m really fond of the sherry flavor in caramelized onions, but using little water or vegetable broth instead are both good non-alcoholic substitutes.  If you don’t like the skin of eggplants, you can optionally peel the eggplant before cutting it up and roasting it.  After the individual components of the meal cook separately (pasta, onions, eggplant), the meal comes together quickly by tossing everything into the same pot!

Eggplant & Caramelized Onion Pasta

Adapted from  Alexandra Cooks

Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

Olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb. pasta such as Gemelli or penne

Sherry or cooking wine

24 oz. jar pasta sauce

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Season onions lightly with salt and pepper, and sauté until caramelized. After about 15 minutes, deglaze the pan with a splash of sherry or cooking wine.  Continue caramelizing for another 10-15 minutes.  Add garlic and basil in the final minute of cooking.

4. As onions cook, cut eggplant into ½ - 1-inch cubes.  Toss lightly with olive oil, then spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 25 minutes until the eggplant is lightly browned and tender.

5.  Combine pasta, eggplant, caramelized onions, sauce, and crushed red pepper in the pot used for cooking the pasta.  Stir to combine, and heat until sauce is simmering.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

KK and I went skiing with a group of friends at Gore Mountain over the long weekend.  We ducked out of work a tad early on Friday to beat traffic, and had a "romantic" Valentine's Day dinner along the way at Kingston Yards Grill (don't worry, we actually celebrated on Thursday night at our favorite sushi spot - Teak!).  My friend Emily handled most of the cooking, so I strangely did not spend much time in the kitchen over the weekend.  She made eggs, bacon and home-style potatoes for breakfast every day; grilled steaks (chicken for me!) one night, and her family's "Very Good Chicken" the other evening - delicious! We skied on Saturday and Sunday, and spent the evenings sipping wine by the cabin's fireplace.  KK and I had not skied in 3 years, but conditions were great and neither one of us fell! Another highlight of the trip was Emily's Frenchie, Ruby June.  Ruby was definitely in puppy heaven with all the attention she received over the weekend! We decided to make this trip an annual tradition, so I'm already looking forward to a repeat weekend of fun in 2015!

There’s something about pesto that makes a meal feel fancy! Perhaps it's because pesto seems like a step above jarred marinara sauce? Or because it’s easy to whip up homemade pesto (assuming you have a large quantity of fresh basil on hand)? Whatever it is – both KK and I are huge pesto fans.  As with most of my meals, the protein and sauce come together as the pasta cooks.  I like to keep busy while the pasta water boils :) If you have it on hand, this recipe would be perfect with leftover cooked chicken.  If you go that route, throw your refrigerated pre-cooked chicken into the sauce mixture a few minutes before the pasta finishes, allowing enough time for the chicken to warm up completely.  Garnish each serving with more fresh basil, pine nuts, or crushed red pepper.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Adapted from Make and Takes

Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

8 oz. pasta, such as bowtie or rotini

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-in cubes

¾ cup evaporated milk

¼ cup pesto

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water, and set aside cooked pasta.

2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken until no longer pink inside.  Plate and set aside.

3.  Using the same skillet, bring evaporated milk to a boil on high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium, and let mixture boil and thicken for 4-5 minutes.  Stir in pesto and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.  Toss in cooked chicken and pasta; stir to combine.  If pasta mixture looks sticky, add some of the reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches a desired consistency.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Tomato & Spinach Risotto

Courtesy of Martin Luther King, Jr., I hope many of you are enjoying a day off from work right now! We spent the weekend catching up with friends we see far too infrequently! On Saturday, KK and I caught dinner with my old roommate (counting time in college, we lived together for almost 8 years!) and her boyfriend in Hoboken.  Thanks to Groupon, we had $21 off our dinner at Sushi House.  It was a great evening catching up!  On Sunday, I met a friend/former coworker for dinner at Eataly.  It was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday evening, presumably due to others also enjoying the long weekend, but we were happy to sip on glasses of wine at La Piazza as we waited for our table at La Pizza & La Pasta.  After heading back to Hoboken, I met up with KK and his friends who had spent the afternoon/evening watching football at Village Pourhouse.  Thankfully, we were able to sleep in today.  Right now, we're watching The Price is Right, even though it just isn't the same without Bob Barker. After the show's over, I'll head to the gym so I can preemptively work off the Thai-Style Chicken Flatbreads that I'm making for dinner tonight!

Although I don’t make it often (here and here), I do love risotto.  The second link is especially interesting because it’s oven-baked risotto, not the traditional type like this meal which requires constant stirring.  Nevertheless, the smooth, creamy, cheesy consistency is so warming and it’s perfect to serve as a main course in the wintertime.  Serve this risotto as a side dish, or with chicken, or remove the chicken entirely and use vegetable broth to make it suitable for vegetarians.  The key to risotto is to stir.  And stir.  And stir.  Whatever you do – don’t let the broth be fully absorbed by the rice before adding more liquid; if that happens, you’re risotto will not reach its full state of creaminess.  Risotto is also best consumed as soon as it’s removed from the heat.  It will continue to cook in its own heat, so it becomes dry and overly mushy as it sits.  The juices from the tomatoes, spinach, and cooked chicken added to the creaminess of this dish, which is why I think I liked it even more than some of the other risottos I’ve tried in the past.  I promise the effort from all of your stirring is worth it – this risotto was delicious and will absolutely be repeated in the near future!

Tomato & Spinach Risotto

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Time: 35 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-in cubes

¾ cup Arborio rice

¼ cup sherry or dry white wine

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 oz. baby spinach

1 tsp dried basil

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and keep warm.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until onion begins to brown, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in another large nonstick skillet.  Cook chicken thoroughly, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.

4. As chicken cooks, begin cooking risotto.  Add rice to skillet with onions, coating rice with the butter.  Pour in wine and stir until nearly absorbed by rice. Add ½ cup chicken broth, stirring continuously until broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth to the rice mixture in ½ cup increments, stirring constantly until liquid is nearly absorbed before adding more.

5. When there is 1 cup of broth left (after three pours), add tomatoes and continue stirring.  Add baby spinach and basil when pouring the last ½ cup chicken broth over the rice.  Continue stirring until liquid is almost absorbed and spinach wilts.  Stir in Parmesan cheese and cooked chicken; season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.