Chicken Penne al Fresco

Preparing a tomato-garlic sauce from scratch in the microwave will fill your kitchen with the aromas of an upscale Italian restaurant.

Ingredients

oil for greasing
1 tbsp (15 mL) Garlic & Herb Rub or 4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 cups (500 mL) grape or cherry tomatoes
3 cups (750 mL) uncooked penne pasta
3 cups (750 mL) chicken broth
½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine such as Chardonnay or chicken broth
½ tsp (2 mL) each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1¼ cups (300 mL) lightly packed fresh basil leaves, divided, sliced
1 oz (30 g) Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¼ cup/60 mL cup packed)
2 cups (500 mL) cooked chicken

Directions

Lightly grease the Fully Glazed Deep Covered Baker with olive oil. Add the rub or sliced garlic and tomatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH, for 4–5 minutes. Add the pasta, broth, wine, salt, and black pepper.
Return the baker to the microwave; cover and microwave on HIGH for 10–12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, stirring after 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the baker from the microwave and remove the lid, lifting it away from you. Reserve 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the basil and add the remaining to the baker, along with the cheese and chicken; mix well. Top with the reserved basil and additional Parmesan cheese, if you’d like.

Yield:

8 servings of about 1 cup, excluding optional ingredients

Nutrients per serving:

Nutrients per serving (about 1 cup, excluding optional ingredient): Calories 240, Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat .5 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 35 g, Protein 17 g, Sodium 450 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tips:

Additional chicken broth can be substituted for the wine, if desired.

Make this a double duty dinner! Prepare an oven roasted chicken in the Fully Glazed Deep Covered Baker. Prepare Juiciest Roast Chicken, then store any leftovers in the baker for later in the week. Use the same baker, no need to wash, to prepare the pasta! Use up the leftover chicken in place of the grilled chicken. And use any leftover chicken drippings in place of the chicken broth!

To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free pasta (look for ones with rice flour or chickpea as they hold their shape better than corn). Reduce the broth to 2 cups (500 mL) and the cook time in step 2 to 8-10 minutes.