CHICKEN PESTO PASTA BAKE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. tube shaped pasta (I used cavatappi - could also use penne, rigatoni, etc.)
- Olive Oil
- 8 chicken tenders, sliced in strips
- salt & pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 8oz. box mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bag spinach
- 1 C. pesto
- 3 Tbls. flour
- 3 Tbls. butter
- 3½ C milk
- 2 C. shredded cheese (I used a combination of parmesan, monterey jack - see note)
- Opt: ½ C. shredded mozzarella cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain. Return to pan and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep pasta from sticking together.
- While pasta is cooking, slice chicken tenders into strips about ¼-1/2" thick. Season pieces with salt and pepper.
- In large skillet, heat a little olive oil to coat bottom of pan. Add chicken strips and sauté until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to pan (add a little more olive oil if needed). Saute until onions and mushrooms are tender being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add spinach and toss to combine. Cook until wilted. Add chicken back to pan and stir to combine. Add chicken mixture to pasta and toss to combine.
- In saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour. Whisk and continue to cook. about a minute. Slowly add milk, while continuing to whisk. Cook until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups cheese and pesto.
- Add sauce to pasta/chicken mixture and toss well to combine.
- If you want extra cheesiness, layer half of pasta mixture in greased casserole dish. Sprinkle ¼ c. shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Add remaining pasta/chicken mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella. I also added a little more parmesan on top. You can omit this cheese layer if you want but why?
- Bake until heated through and lightly golden on top, about 20-25 minutes.
