This ooey-gooey pasta dish is a crowd-pleaser for adults and kids alike—think rich and creamy macaroni-and-cheese tossed with cauliflower and chicken. Serve with a spinach salad.
| Prep Time: | 35 minutes |
| Ready in: | 35 minutes |
| Yield: | 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each |
| Ease of Prep: | Easy |
| Recipe Ingredients | |
| 8 ounces whole-wheat penne | |
| 2 cups 1/2-inch cauliflower florets | |
| 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil | |
| 1/2 cup finely chopped onion | |
| 1/2 cup dry white wine | |
| 3 cups low-fat milk | |
| 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour | |
| 3/4 teaspoon salt | |
| 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper | |
| 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese | |
| 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey (12 ounces; see Tip) | |
| 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard | |
| 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallion greens | |
Recipe Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and cook until the pasta and florets are tender, about 4 minutes more. Drain, rinse and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk milk, flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl and add to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until smooth. Stir chicken (or turkey) and mustard into the cheese sauce; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Stir the sauce into the drained pasta and cauliflower. Serve sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens).
Tip: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.
Health Advantages: high fiber, high calcium.
| Nutrition Information | ||||||||
| Servings Per Recipe: 6 | ||||||||
| Amount Per serving | ||||||||
| Calories: | 433 cal | Carbohydrate Servings: | 2 1/2 | |||||
| Carbohydrates: | 42 g | Dietary Fiber: | 5 g | Cholesterol: | 75 mg | |||
| Fat: | 13 g | Sodium: | 491 mg | Saturated Fat: | 5 g | |||
| Protein: | 34 g | Potassium: | 483 mg | Monounsaturated Fat: | 5 g | |||
| Nutrition Bonus: | Vitamin C (38% daily value), Calcium (35% dv), Potassium (20% dv). | |||||||
| Exchanges: | 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 low-fat milk, 3 lean meat | |||||||
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