Chicken Penne Al Fresco

Mama's Kitchen (Hope)'s Note:

This fast and easy dish is a wonderful way to keep your kitchen cool in the hot months while serving up a delicious meal! Adapted from Pampered Chef.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 garlic cloves , peeled
• 2 cups grape tomatoes (can probably even use a drained can of tomatoes) or 2 cups cherry tomatoes (can probably even use a drained can of tomatoes)
• 3 cups penne pasta (I use mezze which is the small penne )
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ¾ cup dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1 ¼ cups fresh basil leaves , lightly packed, divided
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
• 2 cups grilled chicken breasts , diced (if you dont have leftovers just cook up a breast or two using any quick method, I cut up and mw for )

Garnish

• additional grated fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Spray a mw safe lidded casserole. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cover; microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst, stirring after 2 minutes. Crush tomatoes with fork and add uncooked pasta, broth, wine, salt and black pepper.
2. Return baker to microwave; cover and microwave on HIGH 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, grate cheese and coarsely chop basil, reserve about 1/4th for later.
4. Carefully remove baker from microwave and remove lid, lifting away from you. Add remaining basil, cheese and chicken to baker; mix well.
5. Garnish with reserved basil, additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired.
6. Tips: An additional 3/4 cup chicken broth can be substituted for the wine, if desired.
7. Any tube-shaped pasta requiring 9-11 minutes cook time, such as penne or rigatoni, can be substituted for the mezze penne pasta.
8. To grill chicken in the Grill Pan, season 2 chicken breasts, about 6 oz each, with salt and black pepper. Heat Grill Pan over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Spray pan with oil. Cook chicken 4-6 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; cook 4-6 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink and Pocket Thermometer registers 170°F.

Reviews

[~Leslie~]

Wow, this could not be any easier, I can't believe it's almost all prepared in the microwave. It was perfect for a quick meal after working all day. I used rotini pasta as that was all I had on hand, and the cooking time was perfect. I also used all chicken broth, no wine, so that my DD would like it too. Served with a green salad and presto, dinner was served in less than 1/2 an hour. The amount of liquid looked like a lot at first, but once the cheese was added it was just the right consistency. Thanks for a yummy dinner! :)

[Hwin]

I had this at a bridal shower Pampered Chef party this weekend, and it is really good! And really simple, too. When we made it this weekend, we left out the wine, and didn't add any extra broth. I think it would have been too wet with the amount listed. Also, we added some grated mozzarella cheese near the end.