Name: Chicken Pasta Casserole
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta; 1 tablespoon canola oil; 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 cup chopped onion; 1/2 cup chopped green pepper; 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese; 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese; Minced fresh parsley, optional

This is my family’s favorite every week or two and we never tire of it. I like that I can put it together and relax while it bakes. —Carmen Vanosch, Vernon, British Columbia

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Minced fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

1 Cook the pasta

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Editor’s Tip: When the pasta finishes cooking, drain the noodles but do not rinse them. Rinsing removes the starchy outer coating that helps the sauce cling to the pasta. If needed, you can toss the cooked noodles with a bit of olive oil or butter to keep them from sticking together.

3 Brown the chicken

4 While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken, onion, green pepper, red pepper, basil, oregano, parsley flakes, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute longer.

5 Blend the tomatoes

6 In a blender, pulse the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, covered, until blended. Editor’s Tip: Blending the diced tomatoes makes the sauce smooth, but you can skip this step if you prefer a chunky tomato sauce.

7 Simmer the chicken and sauce

8 Add the blended tomatoes to the chicken mixture. Stir in the broth, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

9 Layer the casserole

10 Drain the pasta, and toss it with the chicken mixture. Spoon half of the mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and Romano cheeses. Repeat the layers.

11 Bake the chicken pasta casserole

12 Cover the baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes longer. If desired, garnish the casserole with parsley.