Happy September! It’s officially time to get out my leaf garlands, scarecrows and hay bales. This is my favorite time of year, and as the weather grows a bit chilly at night, I wanted to take advantage of some of the still fresh veggies of summer. So for dinner tonight it was a light pasta dish filled with fresh asparagus, woody mushrooms and sweet orange bell pepper. Throw in some chicken for protein and I had a perfectly balanced, delicious meal! This is a great dinner to stretch chicken as well – it makes a TON of food, but only uses two chicken breasts.
Fusilli with Veggie Medley
- 1 (16 ounce) package dried fusilli pasta
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 chicken bullion cubes
- 1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 C baby Portobello mushrooms, cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain, and set aside.
- Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder – cook in pan until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.
- Dissolve chicken bullion cubes into water. Pour broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. (check tenderness after 5 minutes)
- Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.
- Stir pasta into chicken mixture, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bakerlady 