A one-pan weeknight pasta where the chicken is seared hard for colour, then pulled out while garlic, cream and parmesan build a glossy sauce in the same pan. The starch in the pasta water is what makes it cling, so do not drain the pasta dry. Finish with rocket or spinach so the whole thing tastes brighter than it has any right to.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it until it tastes like the sea. While it comes up, cut the chicken into 3 cm pieces and season with the salt and several grinds of pepper.
until a rolling boil
Using: Stockpot, Chef's knife, Cutting board
Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and leave it alone for 3 minutes so it can colour, then turn the pieces and cook 2 minutes more. It will not be cooked through yet. Lift the chicken onto a plate, leaving the fat behind.
5 min · until deeply golden on both sides
Using: Skillet, Tongs
Turn the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and chilli flakes to the pan and stir for 60 seconds, just until the garlic smells sweet and turns pale gold. Do not let it brown — burnt garlic makes the whole sauce bitter. Pour in the white wine and scrape the browned bits off the bottom as it bubbles.
1½ min · until the wine has reduced by half and smells sharp, not raw
Using: Skillet, Wooden spoon
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook it, stirring once so it does not stick. Before you drain it, dip out about 2 dl of the cooking water and keep it — the starch in it is what thickens the sauce. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it.
10 min · until tender with a firm bite
Using: Stockpot, Colander, Measuring cups and spoons
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Pour the cream into the garlic pan and let it come to a gentle simmer, then add the butter and the parmesan off the heat, stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce coats the back of the spoon.
3 min · until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
Using: Skillet, Wooden spoon, Grater / microplane
Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the pan, then tip in the drained pasta. Toss over low heat, adding the reserved pasta water a splash at a time, until every strand is glossy and the sauce clings instead of pooling. Stir in the lemon zest and the spinach and toss just until the leaves wilt.
2 min · until glossy and clinging, with the greens just wilted
Using: Skillet, Tongs
Divide between four warm bowls and finish with more parmesan and a last grind of pepper. Eat immediately — this is a sauce that tightens as it sits.
Using: Grater / microplane