Creamy Chicken Pasta

• 9 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
• Cooking spray
• 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 8 ounces chopped wild mushroom blend
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Combine 1/4 cup stock and flour. Add flour mixture, 3/4 cup stock, and half-and-half to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, mascarpone, and 2 tablespoons parsley.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat; coat with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add thyme and mushrooms; cook 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, vinegar, and mustard; cook 30 seconds. Add pasta and chicken mixture; toss. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley.
4. If you like butternut squash, try Butternut Squash and Chicken Pasta: Prepare Creamy Chicken Pasta through step 2, substituting 8 ounces cavatappi pasta for orecchiette, and omitting flour and half-and-half. Preheat oven to 450u0b0. Combine 4 cups peeled (1-inch) cubed butternut squash, 1 1/2 cups (1-inch-thick) slices shallots, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves, and 2 (5-ounce) packages shiitake mushroom caps, sliced. Drizzle vegetable mixture with 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss. Transfer squash mixture to a small roasting pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 450u0b0 for 20 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Add vegetable mixture to pasta mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Serves 6 (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups) Calories 416; Fat 2g (sat 1g); Sodium 354mg
5. If you like mascarpone, try Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad: Prepare Creamy Chicken Pasta through step 2, substituting 6 ounces farfalle for orecchiette, adding 8 cups torn Swiss chard to pasta during last 2 minutes of cooking, omitting half-and-half, and reducing flour to 1 1/2 tablespoons. Preheat the oven to 450u0b0. Combine 3/4 cup toasted fresh breadcrumbs, 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, and 3 finely chopped drained canned anchovies. Combine 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup thinly sliced shallots, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake at 450u0b0 for 15 minutes. Combine the pasta, tomato mixture, and chicken mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Spoon about 1 cup pasta into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs. Serves 6 Calories 364; Fat 6g (sat 9g); Sodium 446mg
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orecchiette pasta, cooking spray, skinless, kosher salt, black pepper, chicken, flour, mascarpone cheese, fresh parsley, onion, fresh garlic, thyme, wild mushroom, red wine vinegar, mustard

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-chicken-pasta (may not work)