Yay, an original recipe that I can be proud about.
This is totally not healthy, but it has to be better than Kraft Dinner, right?
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1 box of your favourite pasta*
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground chicken**
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
Dash of pepper
Dash of salt
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained (I use Aylmer’s petite cut tomatoes, garlic and olive oil)
12-15 asparagus, diced
125 ml whipping (35%) cream
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook the pasta until al dente; rinse with cold water, drain, return to pot. Toss with butter, set aside.
In a skillet, cook chicken and spices in olive oil on high heat until no pink remains. Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat to medium-low and heat through. Gently stir in asparagus. Add cream, simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is warm. Remove from heat.
In a 9 x 13 x 1″ dish, combine chicken mixture, pasta and shredded cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 8 normal people, or two people who want lots of leftovers for the week. Freezes very well.
*I like having pasta leftovers so this isn’t an issue for me, but if you end up with too much, either pre-package some ready-to-bake servings and keep them in the freezer (thaw before baking), or freeze some of the plain buttered pasta. A box of the Catelli “Smart Choice” rotini fits exactly in the aforementioned pan.
**If you want to make a meatless version, omit the chicken and incorporate the spices with the tomato instead.
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