No-Cream Chicken Pasta Primavera
No-Cream Chicken Pasta Primavera
I was looking on the internet for a good pasta primavera recipe where it was not creamy; to cut down on the calories but to maintain the flavor. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I tweaked it to make it my own. First thing I did was add chicken, any meal in my house that does not have a meat will end up with a bunch of complaints. Vegetarians don’t live here, so hence the chicken. I know Pasta Primavera means vegetables only but oh well. I make many variations of it depending what I have available in the kitchen. The picture of the one I made was not penne pasta but fettuccini and I did not put all the vegetables in the recipe. I say this to give you an idea of how many ways you can play with this recipe and get a good result. I had zucchini, squash, red onions, and red and yellow peppers available, so that is what I used. I have also put sun dried tomatoes in it as well. Have fun and experiment and let me know how it comes out.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta
- 4 chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Cook the chicken breasts until browned on one side, turn over and cook another 4 minutes. Scrap the bottom of the pan so the brownings mixes in the juices.Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4. Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Cook the chicken breasts until browned on one side, turn over and cook another 4 minutes. Scrap the bottom of the pan so the brownings mixes in the juices.Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.
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