Penne with Ground Chicken
Chicken,  Dinner,  Italian,  Recipes

Chicken Penne Rosa

Easy Penne Rosa – tender pasta in a delicious tomato cream sauce, and tossed with chicken & Parmesan. Chicken Penne Rosa is ready in no time & perfect for any night of the week!

Who doesn’t love a big plate of pasta in delicious creamy red sauce this time of year? Honestly, pasta is perfect for any time of year, amiright?

Chicken Riggies

We have relatives that live in the Utica, NY area and this recipe for Chicken Penne Rosa may come close to what they call Chicken Riggies.

I hope it does anyway, because that stuff is amazing.

Noodles and Company Penne Rosa

Pasta with Marinated Chicken

My husband isn’t usually a fan of chicken with red sauce, but for this recipe, I marinate the chicken overnight in Italian dressing and he loves it.

Just cut up your chicken and add it to a plastic container with a generous amount of dressing and you’ve got easy marinated chicken!

Penne with Ground Chicken

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

I used penne pasta in this dish, but it would be perfect with rigatoni, rotini, bowties…any pasta that will soak up that delicious sauce!

Can I Make Penne Rosa Ahead of Time?

Yes! My suggestion would be to cook your pasta al dente since you’ll want to warm it up again when you’re ready to have it.

You can reheat it two ways: Either bake the Chicken Penne Rosa in a casserole dish for about 35 minutes at 350 (add cheese to the top!), or toss into a high-sided skillet and toss it over med/high heat until heated through.

The Best Chicken Penne Recipe

How to Make Easy Penne Rosa

As I mentioned, I marinated the chicken but you don’t have to – feel free to use leftover chicken to make things even easier!

You’ll sauté the chicken in a little bit of olive oil, cook your pasta according to box directions, drain it, then toss everything together.

Let’s Make It!

Chicken Penne Rosa

Chicken Penne Rosa

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Easy Penne Rosa - tender pasta in a delicious tomato cream sauce, and tossed with chicken & Parmesan. Chicken Penne Rosa is ready in no time & perfect for any night of the week!

Ingredients

  • 2 T Butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic or Italian Seasoning, or Italian Seasoning
  • 16 oz Chicken Breast, diced
  • 1 small Onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 20oz jar Pasta Sauce
  • ½ cup Milk
  • ½ cup Half-and-Half
  • 2 tsp Dried Basil
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • 12 oz. Penne Pasta

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium high heat.
  3. If not using leftover chicken, add the chicken and onions sprinkle with garlic or Italian seasoning; saute long enough to soften up the onions and until the chicken is no longer pink.
  4. If using cooked chicken, you can add it when the onions begin to soften.
  5. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute.
  6. Drain the pasta when ready, then add to the skillet.
  7. Add the pasta sauce and stir. Bring this mixture to a simmer and then reduce heat.
  8. Add the basil, milk, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well until everything is incorporated and heated through.
  9. Remove from heat and serve! I sprinkled a little more basil and Parmesan.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1 grams
Amount Per Serving Calories 581Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 139mgSodium 1114mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 6gSugar 11gProtein 49g

Nutrition calculation is offered as a courtesy and no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. The data provided are a product of online nutrition calculators and should be considered an estimate only. I am not a registered dietician nor a certified nutritionist. For more accurate information, or if you have dietary restrictions, please consult a trusted professional. A Healthy Makeover strongly supports Intuitive Eating, body trust, and Health at Every Size.

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