Chicken-Penne Florentine Bake

photo by:kraft

What’s not to love? Chicken, spinach and two kinds of cheese are baked with multi-grain pasta for a totally satisfying—and better-for-you—take on an Italian favorite.

time

prep:

25 min

total:

43 min

servings

total:

6 servings, 1 cup each

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What You Need

cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

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

Tbsp. flour

Tbsp. KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

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

pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.

MEANWHILE, toss chicken with flour. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 min. or until evenly browned. Add broth and Neufchatel; cook 3 min. or until Neufchatel is melted, stirring frequently. Stir in spinach.

DRAIN pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon half into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers; sprinkle with Parmesan.

BAKE 16 to 18 min. or until mozzarella is melted and casserole is heated through.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Make Ahead

Pasta can be cooked ahead of time. Cook as directed on package, just until al dente. Rinse pasta, drain well and place in a freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw pasta by running hot tap water over pasta; drain. Then, use as directed.

Keeping it Safe

Cutting raw boneless chicken breasts into pieces is a slippery task. Make it safer and prevent the knife from slipping by cutting the chicken while it is partially frozen.

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AlabamianAmy

posted:1/25/2011

This was pretty good! It was nice to add something a little different to my supply of pasta dishes. :) I did use Kraft Light Zesty Italian dressing instead of the Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, and I also added 1/2 tsp. garlic salt. My husband says he'd like to have it again!

a cook

posted:1/24/2011

We loved it! Super easy to prepare!

karen41133

posted:1/13/2011

I made this last night, it is easy, and tasty, my son asked for seconds. It is a hit, will make it again soon.

phertzbach

posted:12/21/2010

I thought it was a bit dry, and I found the taste of the spinach overwhelming. My husband really liked it, though, so I think it was just a matter of personal taste for me.

jane1250

posted:12/5/2010

Quick and easy!

pbandjam2000

posted:11/23/2010

I had browned the chicken in advance to cut back some time on cooking night. The dish was put together in about 30 mins and it was very tasty, dh even went back for thirds.

a cook

posted:11/16/2010

Turned out great, even my son asked for 2nds!

a cook

posted:11/15/2010

I noticed I required more dressing than the suggested amount to brown my chicken, and, because we're big fans of cream cheese, I used an ounce more. I also went with fresh spinach, which took less than an 8 ounce bag, and an Italian blend of cheeses for more flavors and found this to be a delicious recipe. It will be perfect to take to pot-luck dinners in the future.

tvermillion

posted:10/27/2010

This had waaaay too much spinach it! We LOVE spinach but this had about double what I think I'd put in if I were to make it again. The sauce seemed to evaporate and left little flavor when mixed w/ the noodles, which was a bummer because it smelled divine when cooking. I might try a variation of this w/ less spinach(for sure) and a few more seasonings(garlic, maybe?). As presented, NOT a recipe I'd bother making again. My daughter liked it & ate around some of the spinach.

a cook

posted:10/24/2010

This is my second time making this and it's delicious. I've made a few changes and added a few ingredients. I added 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes and a small can of sliced mushrooms. Instead of cooking the chicken on the skillet, I boiled and shredded it, then sauteed it with the mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach. It is quite tasty and is now a family favorite.