What's Cooking Wednesday: Creamy Pesto Pasta con Pollo

So, I'm cooking dinner last night, even though I really didn't want to. Well, Wayne and I cooked, I should say. I wanted a bento box from the Japanese place up the street, as did Wayne, but our super tight budget (gas is KILLING us) couldn't be fudged with even for one night of dinner out. Plus, it was 90 degrees outside. Who wants to cook when it's 90 degrees outside.

Thank god for a/c because then we can have pasta for dinner. No one without a/c would even consider hot pasta for dinner on a 90 degree day.

So as I'm cooking, I think, "I have been cooking this recipe for forever. It is the easiest dinner to make when you, say, just walked in the door from running your kid(s) around all day. I need to submit this recipe to What's Cooking Wednesday." I am a What's Cooking Wednesday Weirgin no more.



Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken
(I double this recipe for my family of 5 and will usually have one serving left over)

12 oz penne pasta
2 boneless chicken breast halves
4 tsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 T oil
1/2 of an 8oz pkg of cream cheese
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup dry wine ( I use white cooking wine)
1/4 cup snipped parsley
1/3 cup water

Boil pasta. Drain. Keep warm.
Cube and saute chicken in oil until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same skillet cook basil and garlic in drippings (or oil) for 1 minute on medium heat. Reduce heat. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese. Heat and stir until fairly smooth. Stir in wine, parsley and water. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add cooked chicken. Serve over hot pasta.

When we eat this, we buy a bagged salad and some veggies to add to the salad and a loaf of garlic bread. The whole meal takes less than half an hour for prep and cooking.