Saturday, January 16, 2010

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

I got this recipe from Kraft Foods, but altered it a bit. It's so yummy and easy to make!

14.5 oz pkg multi-grain penne pasta
6 oz pkg fresh spinach leaves
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bit-size pieces
1 tsp dried basil
1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce
3 oz Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375.

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

Cook chicken in 2 tbsp olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, and basil. When chicken is almost cooked, stir in spaghetti sauce; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and parmesan. Spoon into casserole dish and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 20 min.

**You can also freeze this before baking -- cover with press-n-seal (or saran wrap) and then foil. Thaw before baking, and add 10-15 minutes to baking time.

1 comment:

Christan said...

Nikki - I used this one and subbed in Laura's lean ground beef for the chicken and it was great. I also added 1/4 cup fat free italian dressing (to add some flavor). It was awesome!