Pesto Penne with Roasted Chicken

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This is another good example of a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.  They suggest using purchased pesto and purchased rotisserie chicken or purchased frozen cooked chicken.  I made this with chicken I roasted myself and froze and with pesto made from my garden - I suspect at a considerable savings.  But I’m for any recipe that encourages folks to cook at least part of the meal themselves.  We thought that any cooked meat like ham or roast pork or even shrimp or sausages would have been as good as or better than the chicken.   We liked the combination and we’ll have it again.  I used the bowties they suggested as I keep them on hand; just about any pasta shape would be good.             

                      Pesto Penne with Roasted Chicken

  8       ounces  Penne Pasta -- or bow ties (about 3 cups)

  2       cups  Fresh Broccoli Florets

  7       fluid ounces  Pesto Sauce -- 3/4 cup

  2 ½   cups  Cooked Chicken -- 12 ounces

  1       cup  Bottled Roasted Red Peppers -- drained and cut into strips

     ¼    cup  Parmesan Cheese -- shredded

     ½    teaspoon  Black Pepper

            Parmesan Cheese -- shredded (optional)

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions; adding broccoli the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Return drained pasta and broccoli to Dutch oven.

In a small bowl, combine reserved pasta water and pesto.  Add pesto mixture, chicken and sweet peppers to Dutch oven; toss to combine.  Heat through.  Remove from heat; add the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and black pepper; toss to combine.

Serve with additional cheese if desired.

4 Servings (We thought it made 6)