Ingredients

• 2480g cooked chicken, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 400g penne pasta 
• 50ml chicken stock 
• 200g spinach 
• 5 00ml milk
• 1 50g cream cheese
• Black pepper, to taste 

Methods

1. Cut the chicken breasts into 2.5cm pieces. 

2. Add the butter to a large pot and melt over a medium heat. 

3. Add the leeks to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic to the pot with the leeks and continue to fry for 1 minute more.

5. Add the chicken, uncooked pasta and chicken stock. Stir to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the stock to the boil.

6. Once the stock comes to a full boil, give the pasta a quick stir, add the spinach, replace the lid and turn the heat down to medium-low.

7. Let the pasta simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the stock has been absorbed. Stir the pasta briefly every 2 minutes as it simmers, replacing the lid quickly each time.

8. Once the pasta is tender and most of the stock has been absorbed, add the milk, and cream cheese (cut into chunks). 

9. Stir and cook over a medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce.

10. Top the pasta with black pepper, then serve.