Vegetable and Chicken Pasta

Vegetable and Chicken Pasta

Serves 4:
Ingredients:
1 pound mini penne pasta (or any small noodle)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (or tofu for vegetarian/vegan)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 onion, small chop
1 large red bell pepper, small chop
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning mix
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 large zucchini, small chop
1 large yellow squash, small chop
1 small eggplant, small chop
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt well, and cook pasta to just shy of package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid and drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with the salt, pepper and granulated garlic, and cook until it is no longer pink and it starts to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and saute the onions and peppers for about 5 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, add in the Italian seasoning mix and stir well to coat everything. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits on the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Add in the remaining veggies and simmer until the pasta is finished cooking, making sure to keep them a little al dente, to your liking. Stir in chicken and continue to simmer until pasta is finished.

When pasta is finished and drained, toss it with the chicken mixture and add a little pasta water if it’s too dry. Taste to adjust seasoning before service. Top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Vegetable and Chicken Pasta