Grilled Chicken Penne Al Fresco
Cheesey chicken penne dish - This is made in the microwave with the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. Cooking time will be different in other bakers.
Cheesey chicken penne dish - This is made in the microwave with the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker. Cooking time will be different in other bakers.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 package cherry tomatoes (you can use a full package if you like)
- 1 box penne pasta i get the mezze (mini)
- 1 package basil fresh
- 4 oz parmesan cheese grated
- 2 boneless chicken breasts grilled/baked/cooked & chopped
- Carbohydrate 56.06823813786 g
- Cholesterol 1170.137580328 mg
- Fat 181.604355245356 g
- Fiber 1.39082499176264 g
- Protein 330.85344408426 g
- Saturated Fat 53.5386833986621 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1730g)
- Sodium 1520.48570346606 mg
- Sugar 54.6774131460974 g
- Trans Fat 16.7530632767266 g
- Calories 3267 calories
Step-by-step
- Sprinkle Deep Covered Baker with olive oil.
- Peel garlic using Garlic Peeler.
- Slice garlic into baker using Garlic Slicer.
- Add tomatoes to baker. Cover; microwave 4-5 min. or until tomatoes begin to burst, stirring after 2 minutes.
- Crush tomatoes with Mix N Chop.
- Add pasta, broth, salt and pepper to baker using Bamboo Grinder set.
- Return baker to microwave; cover and microwave 16 min. or until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 min.
- Meanwhile, coarsely chop basil with Santoku Knife.
- Grate cheese using Rotary Grater.
- Carefully remove baker from microwave and remove lid, lifting away from you. Add basil, cheese and chicken to baker; mix well. Add additional salt and pepper if you desire.
Ingredient manifests omit how starch behavior shifts when shifting cooking vessels. Microwaving dry pasta inside a covered ceramic baker requires precise liquid-to-starch ratios to prevent gummy textures or undercooked cores, unlike boiling in a wide stockpot where excess water evaporates freely.
Adapting for Dietary Restrictions
Gluten-free penne options require shortening the microwave cooking time by two to three minutes because alternative legume or rice flours disintegrate faster than wheat semolina under high steam pressure. Dairy-free adaptations demand caution since hard cheeses like parmesan contribute crucial sodium and binding proteins; substituting nutritional yeast requires reducing added salt by a quarter teaspoon to compensate for mineral concentration.
Managing Ingredient Substitutions
Fresh cherry tomatoes release roughly two ounces of water per half-cup when heated, meaning canned crushed tomatoes will introduce excess liquid and require draining through a fine-mesh sieve for ninety seconds. Dried basil functions poorly here due to hydration limits inside a microwave vessel, but frozen crushed basil cubes work if thawed and pressed between paper towels to remove surplus moisture.
Maximizing Efficiency
Pre-cooked chicken breast added during the final mixing phase prevents rubbery protein tightening caused by secondary microwave exposure. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to three days, adding two tablespoons of chicken broth before reheating at seventy percent power to restore sauce emulsification.
