Pasta is one of my favorite dishes to cook, especially for busy weeknights or weekends at home. I usually prefer to make pasta with lots of tomatoes and tomato flavor or a variety of Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese noodle soups or stir fries. I created this recipe for the times when I just want a light and creamy pasta dish that is simple to make and full of flavor. If you like alfredo sauce but would like a creamy sauce that isn't as heavy on your stomach and need a pasta recipe that is easy to customize to your liking, you'll love this dish. If you're a beginner home cook, once you have this recipe down, you'll be making your own pasta sauces in no time! For a basic cream sauce recipe for beginners see this recipe here.
Ingredients:
-2 chopped boneless skinless chicken breasts
-2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
-1 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms or white mushrooms (opt)
-1 cup ziti or 4 oz. linguine or angel hair noodles
-1/2 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms (optional)
Sauce:
-4 oz. cream cheese or neufchatel
-1/2 cup butter or margarine
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp. dried basil
-1/4 tsp. black pepper
-1/2 cup grated parmesan
-2 cups milk
-3 tbs. minced garlic
-1 tbs. lemon juice
-1/4 tsp. white pepper
Steps:
Bring a pot of about 5 cups of water to a boil. Add noodles then during the last 5 minutes of cooking add the broccoli. Drain and set aside.
In a separate pot, melt margarine and cream cheese on medium heat. Add milk and all seasonings and stir occasionally until sauce has thickened for 5 minutes. Combine sauce with noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Enjoy!
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