Fettuccine with Chicken, Spinach, and Creamy Orange Sauce

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Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons cooking oil
2. 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound in all), cut into 1/4-inch strips
3. 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
5. 10 ounces prewashed spinach
6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
7. 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
8. 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
9. 1 tablespoon orange juice
10. 1/4 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
11. 1/4 cup heavy cream
12. 1/2 pound fettuccine

1. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Sauté until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
2. Remove any tough stems from the spinach. In the same pan used for the chicken, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the spinach, let it wilt, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the zest, orange juice, and chicken broth. Simmer for 2 minutes and then add the cream, the chicken, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from the heat.
3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the fettuccine until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the chicken and sauce.