A friend of mine tried a low-carb diet for a while. She lasted for about a week and then she said she would never do anything as silly again.
She didn’t mean the diet was silly, but she said she should have known from the beginning she would never be able to live without carbs. For her it wasn’t about bread – she told me she could probably go on for a whole year without even having one slice. But she couldn’t bare the thought of not eating pasta for weeks.
I knew exactly what she was talking about… I love pasta and I am pretty much making a pasta dish every other day. I do understand the health benefits of eating less carbs, but what can I say? It is just too good!
This Italian chicken pasta is one of my new favorites. I tried it for the first time last week, and I’m already making it again tonight. This time I’m choosing wisely and using low-fat cream cheese. Yum! I can’t wait for dinner!
Ingredients
1/4 cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (or use homemade)
1 lb. (2) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (or use leftover shredded chicken)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 (8 oz. each) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, cubed, softened
2 1/2 cups uncooked whole grain pasta (or 4 cups cooked)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions:
In a large skillet set to medium-high heat, add dressing. Once hot, add chicken and onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and chicken is mostly cooked
Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, artichoke hearts, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Stir in cream cheese. Once blended through, stir in uncooked pasta and cover. Continue to simmer, cooking pasta according to package instructions (usually 10 minutes for rotini). The pasta will cook in the sauce.
Stir in parsley or basil, and serve.