Angel Chicken Pasta

This is one of the first recipes I made from www.allrecipes.com and it is still one of my favorites. Again this is something that makes enough for leftovers so it is perfect for us. The original recipe calls for you to cook the pasta, make the sauce and then bake the chicken with the sauce for about an hour. This wasn't fast enough for me so I put my twist on it. I just cook the chicken breasts on the stove with the sauce and it saves a bunch of time. This probably isn't the healthiest recipe but if you wanted to make it healthier you could use whole wheat pasta, low fat cream cheese and less EVOO.

Inspiration: http://tinyurl.com/AngelChicken

Ingredients:

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I usually used 2 or 3)
Grill seasoning or S&P
EVOO
1 (0.7 oz) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 C low sodium chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup (the original calls for Golden Mushroom soup but I am not a mushroom fan but I bet this would be really good if you did)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
snipped chives (I use the stuff from the spice aisle that is in the jar)
1 lb thick spaghetti or any sturdy pasta noodle you prefer

I usually butterfly the chicken breasts so they are thinner and cook up faster. I end up slicing them in the end so they don't need to look pretty.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large non-stick skillet heat enough EVOO to cover the bottom of the pan. I usually season my chicken breasts with grill seasoning (since I am a Rachael Ray fan) but salt & pepper would work just fine. Saute the chicken breasts until they are just about cooked through. Remove from pan and place on cutting board to rest.

In the pan with the leftover EVOO stir in the package of Italian dressing mix. Blend in chicken broth and soup. Mix in cream cheese and chives and stir until smooth. Heat through, do not boil.

In the meantime, once the chicken breats have rested a few minutes slice them to the size you would want to eat them with the pasta. Add back in to the sauce to continue cooking in the meantime.

Once the pasta is done drain and then mix with the chicken and sauce. It thickens up easily because of the cream cheese but it is really really good. Enjoy!