Garlic Chicken Pasta Bake

I have to give myself mixed reviews on this one. I was going for a lighter pasta dish (without a heavy sauce). That's what I got, but it was definitely lacking something. I think next time I would definitely add more veggies--the proportion of veggies to pasta was not as high as I would like. For the leftovers, we poured on some spaghetti sauce to add a little more flavor and to prevent the pasta from drying out.  For those of you attempting to make this recipe yourselves, I would suggest mixing in a jar of pasta sauce instead of just the juice from the tomato can. And perhaps increasing the portion of veggies.

Ingredients

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

olive oil

2 large chicken breasts

1 bag  fresh spinach

1 box your favorite pasta

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 medium floret of broccoli

1 can whole tomatoes (and juice)

garlic powder

salt and pepper

fresh parmesan

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350*.  Cut broccoli pieces into small florets without much stem.  Toss in olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

2. While broccoli is roasting, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and sautee garlic until tender.

3. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until done.

4. While chicken is cooking, boil pasta to al dente, approximately 7 minutes. Drain, toss in olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside.

5. Add spinach to the chicken mix and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

6. Chop the tomatoes and add to chicken mix.

7. Stir in pasta and broccoli and mix well.

8. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Pour 1/2 of the pasta mix into the pan. Pour half of the juice from the canned tomatoes over the pasta. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat layer with the other half of pasta, cheese and juice.

9. Top with salt, pepper, fresh parmesan and oregano (optional).

10.  Bake immediately (30 minutes at 350*), refrigerate to bake the next day (45 minutes at 350* if cold) or freeze for another time. Let thaw for 24 hours in the frige before baking.

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore