Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

When I was pregnant, I always wanted pasta. I've always loved it, but I especially wanted it then. Ever since, I still crave it often. And I love, love, love pesto and am always looking for new dishes to make with it. So I bought some of the yummy pre-made stuff at Costco for a recipe I have been wanting to try. I am still trying to perfect that one and will post it later, but since I had so much left over, I thought I would make a yummy pasta dish with it. This recipe was easy to throw together and so worth it. It's the perfect weeknight meal. It's also 14-month-old approved!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups pasta of your choice (I used elbow noodles for this since they were all we had. But I would prefer bowtie or penne)
• 16-oz. package frozen veggie blend (I did Western Family's Normandy Blend)
• 4 oz. Neufchatel (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
• 2/3 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup pesto
• Garlic powder, to taste

1. Put chicken and flour in a large ziploc and shake to coat chicken.

2. In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked and brown on all sides, flipping occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

3. In large saucepan, cook veggies according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook Neufchatel until melted, stirring constantly. Whisk in broth and pesto and sprinkle in garlic powder; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened slightly.

4. Drain veggies and pour back into saucepan. Add chicken and pour sauce over and combine. Serve over noodles and enjoy!