Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Martha Stewart recipes never fail! This pasta dish is full of creamy goodness and will leave you full and satisfied!














Ingredients
6 tbsp butter, plus more for baking dishes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1lb penne rigate
1 tsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup plus 2tbsp flour
4 gloves garlic, minced
6 cups whole milk
10oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, oil drained and sliced
6oz shredded provolone
4oz grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2 quart baking dishes. Cook pasta three minutes short of al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain pasta and return to pot.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook three to five minutes on each side until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat and thinly slice.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic. Whisk for one minute. While whisking, add milk and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook for one minute and add cheese. Add chicken and pasta and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two dishes and top with remaining cup of Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Chicken Florentine

I love creamy sauce pasta dishes so I was excited to make Chicken Florentine. The dish turned out delish with the perfect ratio of sauce, pasta, veggies, and chicken. It wasn't too time consuming and tasted like something from a restaurant!















Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed (or fresh!)
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces penne pasta

Directions
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Saute in olive oil until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan and bring water to a boil in a separate pot for the penne pasta; once boiling, add pasta and cook according to the package directions. To the melted butter saucepan, add garlic, lemon juice, and mushrooms. Sautee until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add cream of mushroom soup, Italian seasoning, half and half, parmesan cheese, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Heat on medium low until a creamy sauce is made. Add cooked chicken and bacon bits. Add pasta. Stir to combine.