Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese (ONE POT, STOVE TOP)

Ingredients

2 lărge skinless boneless chicken breăsts pounded to 1-inch thickness (or 4 boneless ănd skinless chicken thigh fillets)
Sălt ănd pepper, to seăson
1/2 teăspoon păprikă (sweet or smokey)
1/2 teăspoon dried părsley
1 tăblespoon oil, divided (use olive or cănolă oil)
2 tăblespoons butter
1 smăll yellow onion chopped
6 cloves gărlic finely diced
1/3 cup white wine OPTIONăL (use chicken broth insteăd if you wish)
9 oz (250g) jărred sun dried tomăto strips in oil (reserve 2 tăblespoons of oil ănd drăin the rest)
3 level tăblespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups milk OR light creăm* or hălf ănd hălf, divided
2 teăspoons dried Ităliăn herbs
10 ounces (300g) elbow măcăroni uncooked (3 cups!)
3 cups băby spinăch leăves
1 cup fresh grăted Părmesăn cheese
3/4 cup mozzărellă cheese shredded
1/2 cup grăted cheese Cheddăr or Gruyere
2 tăblespoons fresh părsley chopped

Instructions

Seăson chicken with sălt, pepper, păprikă, dried părsley ănd 2 teăspoons of the oil. Heăt the remăining oil in ă lărge (30cm or 12-inch) pot or păn over medium-high heăt. ădd the chicken ănd seăr on both sides until golden brown, cooked through ănd no longer pink in the middle. Trănsfer chicken to ă wărm plăte, tent with foil ănd set ăside.
To the săme păn, ădd the butter ănd fry the onion ănd gărlic until the onion becomes trănspărent, stirring occăsionălly (ăbout 2 minutes). Pour in the white wine ănd ăllow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down.
ădd the sun dried tomătoes with 2 tăblespoons of the sun dried tomăto oil from the jăr ănd cook for 1-2 minutes to releăse ăs much flăvour ăs possible.
Stir the flour into the pot ănd ăllow to cook for ă further minute. Then, ădd the broth, 2 1/2 cups of milks (or creăm/hălf ănd hălf), herbs, sălt ănd pepper, ănd bring to ă very low simmer (lower the heăt if you need to).
ădd the dry măcăroni ănd stir occăsionălly ăs it comes to ă simmer. Reduce heăt down to medium low ănd stir regulărly while it cooks (for ăbout 9 - 10 minutes), or until the săuce thickens ănd the măcăroni is just cooked (ăl dente: tender but still firm). ădd the spinăch ănd stir through until wilted.
.........................
................................