Skinny Cajun Chicken Penne

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb chicken tenderloins, diced
• 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
• 6 ounces whole-grain penne pasta (uncooked)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato paste, spread
• 2 green onions (dice and light green parts)
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 in a medium bowl, toss diced chicken with 1 tablespoon of cajun seasoning and stir to completely coat. set aside.
• 2 bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook penne according to directions for al dente pasta. drain and set aside.
• 3 in a large skillet (cast iron if you have it), melt 1-1/2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
• 4 add chicken to skillet and cook for 4-6 minutes or until cooked through. remove chicken from pan and cover.
• 5 turn heat to low and add 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan (you should sill have some butter/oil left in there) and stir/whisk constantly until the flour/butter forms a pasty roux mixture. do not let this burn, it will only take a minute.
• 6 slowly add 3/4 cup of skim milk while whisking constantly to keep lumps from forming. if lumps do form, just smush them up with a spatula and continue to whisk. mixture should be smooth.
• 7 add 1/4 cup sundried tomato past, 2 diced green onions, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil. turn heat up to medium/medium-high and whisk together and cook until mixture thickens.
• 8 add penne, chicken, and 1/4 cup of parmesan to the skillet, and stir to coat.
• 9 serve immediately with a nice green salad.