FAZOLI'S PENNE WITH CREAMY BASIL CHICKEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside. Keep warm.
• Whisk half & half, sauce mix, olive oil and basil together in bowl until smooth; set aside.
• Melt butter in deep 12-inch non-stick skillet. Add chicken, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat 5-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add all remaining ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Cover; continue cooking 4-6 minutes or until broccoli is crisply tender.
• Gradually stir in sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and heated through. Stir in cooked pasta. Continue cooking 1 minute or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat frying pan to medium high; preheat oven to 350. Grease 13x9 pan with 1 T. of the olive oil.
• In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix, Parmesan, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper.
• Pull "tenders" from breast halves. Dredge all pieces in the biscuit mixture; pressing it on as necessary.
• Add remaining oil to hot frying pan, and brown the chicken pieces, turning to brown all sides. Remove pan from heat.
• While meat is browning, mix tomato and spaghetti sauces; add garlic & more herbs if you wish. (I'm very heavy-handed with the basil & oregano.).
• Spread a layer of cooked pasta over the bottom (about 1/3 of total pasta) of the 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the Mozzarella cheese. Spread about a cup of the sauce over this. Repeat twice. (You should have about a cup of cheese left.)
• Lay the chicken pieces over the last layer of pasta-cheese-sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the meat, sprinkle on the remaining Mozzarella.
• Pop in the oven for 30 minutes; then sprinkle on reserved Parmesan cheese, bake for 10 more minutes.
• SERVE: A small green salad and a few slices of crisp apple or orange or a handful of grapes are delicious accompaniments.
• PLANNED OVERS #1: Whatever meat is left, cut into bite-size pieces, mix thoroughly into remaining pasta, cheese and sauce. At the next meal, you may need to add a few drops of water or sauce to juice it up, but reheated--this works beautifully.
• PLANNED OVERS #2: If no meat is left-over, spread pasta in the bottom of a greased casserole, lay some pepperoni slices over the top, sprinkle with a bit of Cheddar cheese, and bake until bubbly. Sounds like SUPPER!
• SUBSTITUTIONS: Add some chili powder to the sauce (try some salsa in there), minced (dried) onions, lots of black olives, and you have a Taco-y flavored dish instead!