Friday Recipe: Penne with Chicken and Asparagus

I'm a big fan of chicken and pasta-together and separately. Add in fresh asparagus and you create perfection! I don't have asparagus in my garden, I admit to not knowing how it's grown, but perhaps for next year I can make room and add some in! This delicious recipe is from All Recipes, as normal.

Prep Time:15 Min
Cook Time:20 Min
Ready In:35 Min
Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste (skipped this part)
garlic powder to taste (did not skip this!)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.

Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through.

Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information
Servings Per Recipe: 8

Calories: 332
Total Fat: 10.9g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 117mg
Total Carbs: 43.3g
Dietary Fiber: 3.1g
Protein: 16.7g