Prep:

• Get everything in its place as per ingredient list. Follow all the steps involved in organising and preparing ingredients before cooking, such as chopping, measuring, and assembling.

Pasta:

• Cook penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

 Chicken and veggies:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced chicken breasts and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and minced garlic. Sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
• Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water to deglaze the pan, scraping of all the brown bits.
• Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach leaves. Cook until the spinach just wilts, about 1 minutes.

 Assembly:

• Add the cooked penne pasta and little more of reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir well to combine, allowing the pasta to soak up the flavours of the sauce. Add remaining reserved water if sauce is too thick.
• Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and toss everything together until heated through.
• Remove the skillet from heat and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Toss once more to evenly distribute the cheese.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you like a bit of heat, sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes over the pasta before serving.

Serve: 

• Serve hot, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.