Chicken Penne Casserole Recipe

By carol gorman

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup each chopped onion, green pepper and sweet red pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano and parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 35mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion, peppers, garlic and seasonings in oil until chicken is no longer pink.

In a blender, combine tomatoes and tomato paste; cover and process until blended. Add to chicken mixture. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Drain pasta; toss with chicken mixture. Spoon half of the mixture into a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and Romano cheeses. Repeat layers.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.
Yield: 4 servings.

Originally published as Chicken Penne Casserole in Simple & Delicious
January/February 2008, p35