So I don't forget how to make this I'm posting it. :)
I whipped this up tonight and it was really good. It would be a great meatless meal. I could have eaten the pasta by itself all night. The chicken was just a nice little addition of protein so I didn't pig out on the pasta. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out and even happier that it came out to 6 points per serving. That makes me happy. :)
Yummy Penne with Tomato Pesto and spinach cream sauce and chicken: (i should probably work on the name) 6 WWP+ per serving, serves 8.
5 oz uncooked penne
2-3 cups spinach
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes w/garlic drained
1/2 onion sliced
1 red pepper diced
4 oz fat free cream cheese
3/4 c chicken broth
1 cup parmesan cheese, split in half
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 1/2 TBS sun dried tomato Pesto
2 chicken breasts sliced and diced.
1 cup italian bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 450.
Take two chicken breasts and cut them in to bite size pieces. Coat them in the bread crumbs and spread out over greased cookie sheet in one even layer. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, cut up your onion and red pepper. In a non stick skillet put a tiny drizzle of oil. add the pepper and the onion and cook 4-5 minutes until they're just softening. set aside. In a medium sauce pan add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream cheese and whisk until the lumps are gone. Add two and half TBS of the tomato pesto, 1/2 c parmesan, nutmeg and the crushed red pepper flakes (you don't have to add the pepper, but I like the heat that it brings).
Once the sauce is smooth add it to the skillet with the onion and the red pepper. stir those together. Before you drain the pasta add about 1/4 c ish of the pasta water to the cream sauce and stir it together. Then add the tomatoes and stir. If the sauce is too thick add a little more pasta water or chicken broth. not more than a couple TBS. Then add the penne and the spinach Stir everything together. Sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan and pair it with the chicken and a salad.
:)
cook Penne as directed on the package.
