I made this recipe for the first time this evening and let me tell you, it was amazing! I felt like I was at a restaurant. My personal cooking nemesis are sauces, I never have a clue of how to make one from scratch and this recipe showed me how and it was super easy using Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese. I’ll be experimenting with other Philly based sauces for sure now.
I did substitute some of the ingredients for their low fat counterparts and used whole wheat pasta instead of regular and I don’t think it took away from the dish one bit. Here’s my finished product and the recipe, enjoy:
Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta with Chicken
Prep: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
- 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
- ¼ cup KRAFT sun-dried tomato dressing, divided
- 4 small boneless skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ½ tsp. each garlic powder & black pepper
- 4 oz (1/2 package) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- ½ cup KRAFT shredded parmesan cheese
- 8 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, cover. Cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done (165º F). Remove chicken from skillet, cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. Add remaining dressing, broth, and seasonings to skillet; cook 3 to 4 min. or until heated through. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until Neufchatel is melted. Stir in tomatoes, cook 3 min.
3. Drain pasta. Add to ingredients in skillet with Parmesan and basil, mix well. Serve topped with chicken.
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Dianna Ranere