Receta Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta and Free Cream Cheese
Have you seen the new ads for Philadelphia cream cheese? I just love the song!
- Creamy Tomato-Basil Pasta with Chicken
- Prep: 30 minutes (45 min)
- Makes: 4 servings
- 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked (2 1/2 cups Rotelle)
- ¼ cup KRAFT sun-dried tomato dressing, divided
- 4 small boneless skinless Chicken Breasts – (3 ½ lb each)
- 1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ½ tsp. each garlic powder & black pepper
- 4 oz (1/2 package) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes
- ½ cup KRAFT shredded Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 8 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken, cover. Cook 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done (165º F). Remove chicken from skillet, cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out skillet with paper towel.
2. add remaining dressing, broth, and seasonings to skillet; cook 3 to 4 min. or until heated through. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until Neufchatel is melted. Stir in tomatoes, cook 3 minutes.
3. Drain pasta. Add to ingredients in skillet with Parmesan and basil, mix well. Serve topped with chicken.
Method alterations:
Step 1- I used Rotelle pasta because that is what I had on hand. Since the chicken breasts that I bought, and all the packages at the meat counter for that matter, were about a half a pound, I used just three. They took a little longer than 12 minutes to cook; Note to self, fillet the chicken breasts next time.
Step 2- The grape tomatoes I halved, they just seemed too big.
Step 3 – I added all but about a cup of the cooked pasta. It looked to be way too much pasta for the sauce, even after reducing the dry amount.
Assessment:
I had a great time preparing this dish. It was really exciting to be part of a testing program for the first time. Add in the fact that it was Philly cream cheese and I'm a girl from the burbs of Philly, well that's just made the whole deal awesome! The flavor was great. The dressing gave the chicken a nice flavor and a nice bit of zing to the sauce too. Red and the carnivore liked very much. The three of us had one criticism, more sauce was definitely in order! To spoon some of that creamy sauce over the chicken after plating would have been fabulous, but the pasta just soaked it up. Maybe changing from Penne to Rotelle made the difference, I don’t know. I will be making this again, two cups of dry pasta, double the sauce.
My Spread A Little Philly Love Giveaway – If you want to enter, go here and leave a comment about this post, including a way for me to contact you in your comment. That’s it, you're entered to win one free tub or bar of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Tuesday January 19th. One winner will be chosen at random.
The lucky winner will be announced on Wednesday January 20th. Thanks and Good Luck!
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