Chicken Scampi Pasta w Wilted Garlic Spinach

About

Impress a date at dinner time or give yourself an extra-delicious week of Keto meal prepping. This meal starts with traditional chicken scampi made with Italian-inspired spices with flavors of white wine, peppers, and onions. The chicken is served on top of a bed of shirataki fettuccine noodles with a creamy scampi sauce. If you can’t find fettuccine shirataki noodles, that’s okay. You can use any shape you can find without affecting your macros. Served on the side is a healthy wilted spinach salad made with hot garlic oil. You can store the completed meals portioned in meal prep containers and simply microwave them when you’re ready to eat. This recipe has a 3-day shelf life, but the chicken scampi pasta can stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Is Keto Scampi Different From Traditional Scampi?

There are just a couple of small changes made in traditional chicken scampi to turn it into a Keto-friendly meal. Traditional scampi includes a generous amount of white wine, which has too many carbs on the Keto diet. Instead, you’ll use a little white wine vinegar to get the same taste. The only other substitute made is with the pasta – you’ll be using Keto shirataki noodles!

Where Do I Find Shirataki Noodles?

Don’t let the name fool you – shirataki noodles have nothing to do with the mushroom. You won’t find them in the produce aisle! Shirataki noodles are made with tofu and special zero-carb yam flour. The noodles need to be packaged in water and kept cold, just like regular tofu. Look for shirataki noodles where you would find tofu at your local grocery store, or check the refrigeration aisle where specialty vegetarian and vegan items are shelved.

Ingredients

3 oz chicken breast boneless skinless raw
¼ teaspoon olive or extra virgin olive oil
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon oregano, dried
⅛ teaspoon thyme, dried
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar
½ oz red pepper
½ oz red onion
2 tablespoon cream heavy whipping
4 oz shirataki noodle
1 oz spinach
1 tablespoon olive or extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp, chopped garlic

Instructions

Prepare 3-ounce chicken breasts by patting them dry with a paper towel and rubbing ¼ teaspoon olive oil into each portion. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper. If you choose, you can marinate the chicken before cooking, but it tastes just as good as cooking right away. Heat a pan over medium heat and place the chicken in, seasoned side down.
Let the chicken cook until it’s golden on one side – about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and reduce the heat to medium-low. Place a lid over the pan to finish cooking the chicken. After another 2-3 minutes, the chicken should be done. Transfer your finished chicken to a serving dish or cutting board to rest, and leave the pan on the stove.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Deglaze the pan with cold butter, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any leftover seasonings in the pan. Once the pan is deglazed, pour white wine vinegar into the pan. Let the pan sizzle and reduce briefly, and stir the glaze together one final time.
Thin-slice red bell pepper and red onion, and add them to the pan. Turn the stove heat up and place a lid on the pan. Let the peppers and onions cook down in the glaze until the onions are translucent and the peppers are tender, stirring occasionally. Then, pour heavy cream into the pan, stirring until you have a light brown sauce. Drain and rinse your shirataki noodles, then stir them into the pan of sauce. Let the pan simmer openly as any excess moisture in the noodles evaporates and the sauce thickens.
Stir the pasta together one final time, and add it to your serving plate. Slice the chicken and arrange it on or next to the pasta. Finally, you just need to make the spinach. Use your hands to gently tear fresh spinach and add it to a mixing bowl. Pour olive oil into a clean pan and add minced garlic to it. Heat the garlic oil over low heat on your stove until the oil becomes hot and the garlic turns golden. Pour the hot garlic oil over the spinach, and toss the spinach as the heat wilts the leaves. Serve warm with your chicken scampi.