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One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Penne

Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated May 13, 2024
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An easy homemade red pepper cream sauce, fresh spinach, chicken and penne pasta come together in this one-pot dinner.

More About This Recipe

  • We’ve lost track of how many times a jar of pasta sauce has saved our lives during dinnertime. But there certainly is something to be said for making sauce from scratch, which is exactly what we did for this roasted red pepper pasta using whipping cream, roasted red peppers and Parmesan cheese. Of course, you could use a jarred sauce for a quick and convenient shortcut, but throwing the ingredients together to make your own takes just a few minutes. If you do decide you’re in a pinch and need to resort to jarred sauce, make sure you find a creamy version. On the other hand, if you really wanted to make this entire recipe from scratch, you could start with fresh red peppers and roast them yourself in the oven. For more ideas on what to do with that box of penne in your cupboard, browse through our penne dinner recipes.

One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Penne

  • Prep Time 40 min
  • Total 40 min
  • Ingredients 11
  • Servings 6
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Ingredients

  • 1 jar (12 oz) roasted red bell peppers, thoroughly drained
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 2 3/4 cups water
  • 2 1/3 cups uncooked penne pasta (8 oz)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken
  • 1 bag (5 oz) baby spinach

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    In blender, place roasted peppers, whipping cream and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth. Set aside.
  • Step 
    2
    In 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is tender.
  • Step 
    3
    Add water, pasta, salt and pepper; heat to boiling. Simmer uncovered 11 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and most of liquid is absorbed.
  • Step 
    4
    Stir in chicken and roasted peppers mixture. Continue heating 4 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through and sauce starts to thicken. Gradually add spinach, stirring constantly, until starting to wilt. Remove from heat; serve with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

490 Calories
27g Total Fat
25g Protein
36g Total Carbohydrate
3g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
490
Calories from Fat
240
Total Fat
27g
42%
Saturated Fat
14g
72%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
105mg
35%
Sodium
850mg
35%
Potassium
340mg
10%
Total Carbohydrate
36g
12%
Dietary Fiber
2g
10%
Sugars
3g
Protein
25g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
100%
100%
Vitamin C
30%
30%
Calcium
25%
25%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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