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)
Yield: about 4 servings
Recipe Adapted from: Chicken and Broccoli Penne (back of a Mueller’s Whole Wheat Penne box)
Yield: about 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic chopped (or as desired)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt as desired
- Crushed red pepper flakes as desired
- 1 13.25 ounce box whole wheat penne (or choose a gluten-free pasta)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt for cooking pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil additional
- 3 cups broccoli florets and stems coarsely chopped and steamed just until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drained
- 3 cups grape tomatoes I used a mixture of yellow and red
- ½ cup freshly 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.
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 pasta selections, available in some supermarkets and specialty food stores such as Whole Foods.
Other favorite pasta dishes to try are: Penne with Roasted Vegetables and Butternut Squash ‘n Spinach Lasagna.
Other MPM Dinners in a Flash you may enjoy are: Easy Fish Tacos, Caramelized Peppers, Onion ‘n Turkey Naan and Shrimp with Basil and Cherry Tomatoes.
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