#1106 - Chicken & Broccoli Bowties

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups raw bowtie pasta noodles (cooked according to package directions)
4 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Italian salad dressing
1 or 2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper
4oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature and cubed)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Poke chicken breasts all over on both sides using a fork. Place chicken breasts in a large Ziploc bag--pour the Italian dressing into the bag, then seal and work it around with your hands to coat all chicken. Open the bag a little bit, squeeze out the air, and reseal. Place in refrigerator for a few hours to marinate. When ready to cook, cook pasta according to box directions. Cook pasta until almost done, then add broccoli to the pasta water--continue cooking and stirring until pasta is done. Drain pasta and broccoli, then return it to your saucepan. Remove chicken from refrigerator--cut chicken into bite sized pieces (DO NOT discard Italian dressing). Place chicken pieces, minced garlic, and pepper in a skillet with some of the leftover Italian dressing--cook and stir until chicken is cooked through and browned. Add the cream cheese and pasta sauce to the chicken--cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat and pour pasta mixture into the saucepan with the bowtie pasta/broccoli mixture. Return to heat--add Parmesan cheese to the mixture--cook and stir until all ingredients are hot.