Chicken Penne Casserole

As I am waiting on my wonderful dinner guests to arrive, I figured I'd go ahead and put up the recipe I picked for tonight -- Chicken Penne Casserole.  I found this recipe in one of the MANY cookbooks I received from my mother, and I'm telling you, I cannot WAIT to try it because my kitchen smells dang good.  Here goes!

Chicken Penne Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup each chopped onion, green pepper, and sweet red pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted this part since I didn't feel like buying it)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion, peppers, garlic, and seasonings in oil until chicken is no longer pink.

In a blender, combine tomatoes and tomato paste; cover and process until blended.  Add to chicken mixture.  Stir in broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Drain pasta; toss with chicken mixture.  Spoon half of the mixture into a greased 11-in x 7-in x 2-in baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and Romano.  Repeat layers.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.  Yield: 4 servings.

Overall it was a relatively simple recipe to make.  I actually enjoyed cooking it, and I hope you do too!