Creamy Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• 0.8 teaspoon pepper black divided
• 1 cup chicken stock see unsalted divided (such as Swanson)
• 0.5 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup parsley fresh divided chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme sprigs fresh chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic fresh minced
• 0.5 cup half and half 
• 0.8 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 0.3 cup mascarpone cheese 
• 8 ounces mushrooms wild chopped
• 0.5 cup onion chopped
• 9 ounces orecchiette uncooked
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 
• 12 ounces chicken breast boneless skinless cut into bite-sized pieces

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• roasting pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray.
3. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Add chicken to pan; saut 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
5. Combine 1/4 cup stock and flour.
6. Add flour mixture, 3/4 cup stock, and half-and-half to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mascarpone, and 2 tablespoons parsley.
8. Heat a skillet over medium heat; coat with cooking spray.
9. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes.
10. Add thyme and mushrooms; cook 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and mustard; cook 30 seconds.
11. Add pasta and chicken mixture; toss.
12. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley.
13. If you like butternut squash, try Butternut Squash and Chicken Pasta: Prepare Creamy Chicken Pasta through step 2, substituting 8 ounces cavatappi pasta for orecchiette, and omitting flour and half-and-half. Preheat oven to 45
14. Combine 4 cups peeled (1-inch) cubed butternut squash, 1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices shallots, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 2 (5-ounce) packages shiitake mushroom caps, sliced.
15. Drizzle vegetable mixture with 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss.
16. Transfer squash mixture to a small roasting pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
17. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
18. Add vegetable mixture to pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
19. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
20. Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups) Calories 416; Fat 2g (sat 1g); Sodium 354mg
21. If you like mascarpone, try Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad: Prepare Creamy Chicken Pasta through step 2, substituting 6 ounces farfalle for orecchiette, adding 8 cups torn Swiss chard to pasta during last 2 minutes of cooking, omitting half-and-half, and reducing flour to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Preheat the oven to 45
22. Combine 3/4 cup toasted fresh breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, and 3 finely chopped drained canned anchovies.
23. Combine 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup thinly sliced shallots, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
24. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
25. Combine the pasta, tomato mixture, and chicken mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Spoon about 1 cup pasta into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs.
26. Serves 6 Calories 364; Fat 6g (sat 9g); Sodium 446mg