Spicy Roman Chicken Pasta

Here is another great recipe! Beware of the cayenne pepper, we like heat, but 2 teaspoons was too much! My poor kids couldn't eat it.

pint heavy cream
4 T butter
2 tsp  salt
1 – 2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp cayenne pepper
10 ounce package of bowtie pasta cooked and drained according to package directions – al dente.
1 1/2 T melted butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 7-8 ounce precooked sliced grilled chicken (we also add equal amounts of sausage to ours…although shrimp, beef, and crab would be great too!)
1/8 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 oz heavy cream

Sauce:
 1. Melt butter in saute pan or skillet. Add cream, salt and pepper, heat to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in cheeses and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then add mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Stir for one minute. Next add artichokes and chicken (and cooked sausage or other meat). Stir. Stir in 1 ounce heavy cream and 1/2 of the sauce. Add bowtie pasta followed by rest of the sauce. Stir gently. Serve.

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (freezer meal)

Here's another recipe I found on Pinterest. I really liked this one, not just because of the flavor, but because you can make 3 pans: eat 1, freeze 2 for later! The sun-dried tomatoes add a yummy zing to the pasta, you definitely should give this one a try. I will warn you that there are a lot of steps, so if you have small kids, I'd save this one for a Saturday or Sunday when you have more time.

 

     6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)  {NOTE: I used 2 1/2 c Italian Cheese Blend instead of provolone and Parmesan.

1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

To Freeze: Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.

To Bake From Frozen: Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.