CHICKEN PRIMAVERA

Chicken Primavera image

Simmer spring vegetables and chunks of chicken in a rich tomato sauce to serve over whole-grain fettuccine. Round out the meal with a seasonal fresh fruit salad.

Yield Serves 8; 1 cup pasta and 3/4 cup chicken mixture per serving

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 ounces mushrooms, such as cremini (brown), sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup Chicken Broth (page 50) or commercial fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
16 ounces dried whole-grain fettuccine
2 cups cubed cooked skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt, all visible fat discarded
1 cup frozen green peas

Steps:

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, mushrooms, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the squashes and onion are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomatoes with liquid, broth, oregano, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, prepare the pasta using the package directions, omitting the salt. Drain well in a colander. Pour into a large bowl and cover to keep warm.
Stir the chicken and peas into the zucchini mixture. Increase the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken and peas are heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over the pasta.
Use this recipe as a springboard for experimentation. A few possibilities are using asparagus for one or both types of squash, substituting green onions for red, trying thyme instead of oregano, and/or replacing the fettuccine with whole-grain bowtie pasta.
Cooking with no-salt-added tomatoes can really make a difference in sodium: On average, one cup of regular canned tomatoes contains 300 mg more than the same amount of tomatoes canned without added salt!
(Per serving)
Calories: 299
Total fat: 3.0g
Saturated: 0.5g
Trans: 0.0g
Polyunsaturated: 1.0g
Monounsaturated: 1.0g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Sodium: 59mg
Carbohydrates: 51g
Fiber: 10g
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 22g
Calcium: 64mg
Potassium: 522mg
3 starch
1 vegetable
1 1/2 very lean meat