Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

By srumbel

Hundreds of people can't be wrong. Check out this creamy, cheesy, hearty casserole that sports a solid 5 stars for deliciousness as well as smarts.
from kraftrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1-3/4 cups CLASSICO FAMILY FAVORITES Traditional Pasta Sauce
• 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
• 2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 375ºF.
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in tomatoes and pasta sauce; bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Add Neufchatel; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until completely melted.
Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella; spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 20 min. or until heated through; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Servings

4 servings, 2 cups each