Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

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Hundreds of people can't be wrong. Check out this creamy, cheesy, hearty casserole that sports a solid 5 stars for deliciousness as well as smarts.

time

prep:

20 min

total:

43 min

servings

total:

4 servings, 2 cups each

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What You Need

1-1/2

cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves

lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

tsp. dried basil leaves

can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce

oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.

MEANWHILE, cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in tomatoes and spaghetti sauce; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasonally. Stir in Neufchatel.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella; pour into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Note

If watching sodium, prepare using no-salt-added diced tomatoes and lower-sodium spaghetti sauce.

Substitute

Substitute an 8-inch square baking dish for the 2-qt. casserole.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with CRYSTAL LIGHT Iced Tea.

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paulabelknap

posted:3/1/2011

This is easy and delicious! I thought it was strange to cook the spinach in with the pasta, but it works. I've made this for 2 friends who had new babies and it was a hit with everyone!

mellow0911

posted:2/15/2011

Excellent. Very tastey. I made this my family loved it. Best part they will never know it was healthy.

bdutton15

posted:2/14/2011

A family favorite. I even use frozen spinach in place of raw. I just cook as the directions state and add it to the pasta and drain.

bfleon

posted:2/1/2011

I made this using pre-cooked grilled chicken and fire roasted diced tomatoes. This was delicious and simple to make. I think the fire roasted tomatoes gave it a bit more flavor. Will definitely put in rotation for the future.

a cook

posted:1/31/2011

Excellent recipe. Family loves it. It is now in our regular rotation. I didn't change or modify a thing!

Raquel356

posted:1/24/2011

it was so good and easy!

hopema82

posted:1/24/2011

very good, a favorite in our house!

nurseann7161

posted:1/20/2011

This has been a go to recipe for me for a couple of years now. I absolutely love it, and I'm a very picky eater. Everyone I've ever cooked it for has loved it and asked for the recipe! This recipe is very simple (I'm not very good in the kitchen either! lol) and tastes superb! The only thing I've changed is I don't use the Parmesan cheese. I'm just not a big fan of it on anything. I also use cream cheese instead of the neufchatel cheese.

mmora85

posted:1/18/2011

My husband hates pasta, but this one he fell in love with. He is even thrilled to find out what I will make next. I wasn't so sure how I would like it do to the spinach but you can not even taste the spinach.

tstreich

posted:1/14/2011

Very good! Easy too! I used 12 ounces of grilled chicken breast strips, so this really came together quickly. Like others, I added some minced garlic and I added Italian Seasoning for a little more flavor. I also used tomatoes with basil and garlic plus Italian Cheese Blend instead of the mozzarella. We'll definitely be having this for a quick meal again!