Penne Rosa with Chicken

I cooked up a storm this past weekend! I now have several recipes to share with you guys. I asked Keith what his favorites were, so I'll start with his pick. This pasta was a hit!  We really love pasta and crave an Italian meal often, but we don't like all of the calories and heavy feeling afterwards. This 'lighter' penne rosa recipe fit the bill with the use of greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. This was another Pinterest inspiration, thanks to this post on Back to Her Roots. We made slight modifications (chicken instead of shrimp) and increased a few of the ingredients. This was quite good and QUICK! It would be a nice base recipe that you could modify vegetables and additions to.


 

Penne Rosa with Chicken
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Ingredients:

• 12 ounces whole wheat penne (I used regular, but will use wheat next time)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped and seeded (this will help keep it from being watery)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (we marinated them in Italian dressing and grilled)
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh basil, or basil leaves 

Cook penne according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.

Add in mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to release their water.

Add chicken to pan and allow to warm (if chicken is not hot already). Remove from heat, add in spinach and cover skillet. Let spinach wilt for 2 minutes.

Remove lid and place skillet back over low heat. Add the penne, Greek yogurt and pasta sauce. Stir until sauce is mixed well and all pasta and veggies are coated. Heat until just warmed through. Divide into pasta bowls and serve topped with parmesan cheese and basil.


Enjoy!!