Admittedly, my hubbie and I don’t eat pasta very often. Although we love pasta, we find it’s not always the kindest to our waistlines. Recently, my hubbie had an uncommonly strong craving for pasta to which I just couldn’t say no!
Being I already had planned to make a chicken and veggie dish for dinner that night, I was able to create this recipe in minutes with just a few other simple ingredients I already had on hand. Colorful and delicious, this one dish pasta meal will absolutely delight all of you garlic lovers out there. Satisfying, yummy and FUN! Another great MPM Dinner in a Flash!
Garlicky Penne with Chicken, Broccoli ‘n Grape Tomatoes
Recipe Adapted from:Chicken and Broccoli Penne (back of a Mueller’s Whole Wheat Penne box)
Yield: about 4 servings
Click HERE for the full recipe, but in the nutshell, here is what you do:
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes.
In an 8-quart stockpot, bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the water. Add pasta; boil for 9 minutes. Taste; if too chewy, cook for up to another 2 minutes. Do not over-cook or pasta will become mushy. Drain; retaining 1-1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
In a large deep skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high setting. Sauté chicken for about 5 minutes or until almost cooked through.
Stir in broccoli; sauté for 1 minute.
Stir in drained penne and grape tomatoes; continue sautéing for 1 minute.
Add reserved pasta water; stirring for about 2 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add grated Parmesan cheese; stir to combine until cheese is melted.
Taste; stir in additional salt and red pepper flakes if desired.
Transfer to a large bowl or serving platter.
Serve with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired .
Garlicky Penne with Chicken, Broccoli ‘n Grape Tomatoes
Admittedly, my hubbie and I don’t eat pasta very often. Although we love pasta, we find it’s not always the kindest to our waistlines. Recently, my hubbie had an uncommonly strong craving for pasta to which I just couldn’t say no! Being I already had planned to make a chicken and veggie dish for dinner that night, I was able to create this recipe in minutes with just a few other simple ingredients I already had on hand. Colorful and delicious, this one dish pasta meal will absolutely delight all of you garlic lovers out there. Satisfying, yummy and FUN! Another great MPM Dinner in a Flash!
Recipe Adapted from:Chicken and Broccoli Penne (back of a Mueller’s Whole Wheat Penne box)
3cupsbroccoli florets and stemscoarsely chopped and steamed just until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drained
3cupsgrape tomatoesI used a mixture of yellow and red
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese as desired
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes.
In an 8-quart stockpot, bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt to the water.
Add pasta; boil for 9 minutes. Taste; if too chewy, cook for up to another 2 minutes. Do not over-cook or pasta will become mushy. Drain; retaining 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
In a large deep skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high setting. Sauté chicken for about 5 minutes or until almost cooked through.
Stir in broccoli; sauté for 1 minute.
Stir in drained penne and grape tomatoes; continue sautéing for 1 minute.
Add reserved pasta water; stirring for about 2 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add grated Parmesan cheese; stir to combine until cheese is melted.
Taste; stir in additional salt and red pepper flakes if desired.
Transfer to a large bowl or serving platter.
Serve with additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: this dish is best served fresh. However, leftovers may be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Gently reheat over a low setting just until warmed through.
Notes
Play with other vegetables depending on what’s in season in your area. Zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant and Brussels sprouts would also be quite delicious in this dish.
Need a gluten-free pasta alternative? Look for Tinkyada or Lundberg brown rice penne and other products, available in some supermarkets and specialty food stores such as Whole Foods.
Coming to the Blog: Signature Gazpacho (reprised by request!)
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We admittedly eat way too much pasta in my house (I am Italian, what can I say) and this is exactly the kind of dish I love to whip together at the end of the day. Sounds wonderful and the colors are so inviting!
What a delicious pasta dish, Linda! I love all the fresh ingredients and flavours. Whole wheat pasta is such a wonderful thing - it still tastes like a treat but it's good for you too!
I would love to eat at your house all the time Linda! I love your food. This recipe sings to my soul. Pasta, veggies and chicken. That's my kind of dinner!
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