Chicken Pasta Primavera
This is another dish that you can easily adjust to suit your tastes. You can use any vegetables you like. When your budget is squeaking tight, make it with just peas and carrots. But when you have a little more wiggle room, try it with red peppers, zucchini, and sugar snap peas.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and keep warm.
Step 2
Peel the carrots and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Place the carrot rings in a small saucepan and completely cover with water. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are just soft. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place in a microwave-safe bowl and add a little water. Cover loosely with waxed paper or plastic wrap and cook on high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, until just soft.) Carefully drain off the water.
Step 3
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Cut the ends off the mushroom stems, discard, and thinly slice the mushrooms.
Step 4
Place the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the chicken and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden brown.
Step 5
Add the peas and milk to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the milk is hot and starts to steam. (Do not let the milk boil.) Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat, add the carrots and pasta, and stir until combined. Serve immediately.
Food for Thought
Step 6
Carrots are said to fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and boost the immune system. They contain vitamins A, B, C, D, E, potassium, magnesium, and beta-carotene. Contrary to most other vegetables, a cooked carrot is more nutritious than it raw counterpart. Cooking breaks down a carrot’s fiber, making the beta-carotene and sugars easier to digest. And just FYI, Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, was not very fond of carrots.
VEG OUT
Step 7
Here’s a tough one: leave out the chicken. You can add extra veggies if you want, but it’s not necessary
