You might have already done your weekly menu, maybe even written it on your chalkboard or if you are fancy like me you have it on a whiteboard that is on your frig, yah fancy all right :-) However, after reading this recipe and seeing the photos, you will cross off one of the meals you have planned because you will want to it this dinner. You may even choose to make it tonight, but don't blame me if you stop off at the grocery store on your way home.
During summer time and yes I know summer officially begins on June 21, but anyways I want light tasting meals, I don't want a belly full of food that has me saying ugh that was a heavy meal. Heavy doesn't cut it during the summer. Just like turning on your oven and heating up the whole house. I don't wanna do it. Pasta can be heavy, I admit but adding some lemon and basil and this pasta dish suddenly tastes light like eating a cloud. Ok well not exactly but it will have you saying yum and your belly not be dragging to the ground the rest of the evening.
For this recipe, you need 8 oz. (2 1/2 cups) pasta like cavatappi or rotini, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed, 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese, 1 package basil, chopped, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, black pepper.
Cook the pasta according to the directions leaving out the salt in the water. Drain the pasta when it is finished cooking.
In a sauce pan, heat up the olive oil, then add the chicken and garlic to cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.
In the same skillet, add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, lemon juice and bring the ingredients to a boil.
Add in the cream cheese and stir it until it is completely melted. Simmer for a few minutes until it is thicken.
Simmer for a few minutes until it is thicken. Add in the chicken and the pasta and stir all the ingredients together.
Zest a lemon over the dish and add the chopped basil.
I made ribbons of basil and demonstrated how to make them.
So you are welcome for this delicious, not heavy light-tasting pasta dish!
recipe found here
17 comments:
Yes to this!!! I am definitely one of those meal planners you speak of - but I'm pinning this for next week!! Thanks for sharing!
That looks yummie. Thanks for posting it. Will have to try it out. I'm with you, I don't like heavy foods in the summer.
Best, Mree
Yum! This sounds amazing! I love lighter pastas for summer... alfredos and sauces like that are just too heavy when it's so hot out!
<3, Pamela
sequinsandseabreezes.blogspot.com
yum!!! we just planted basil starters this weekend too
Yum! Basil and lemon sound delicious and light.
That cream cheese for thickness is genius. Totally using basil tonight thanks to your inspiration!
mmm yes! we use cream cheese in our spaghetti too! i love it. i have to add some fresh basil + lemon next time too. xo jillian - cornflake dreams
YUM! This looks delicious! We've already done our grocery shopping for the week...or this would have been added for sure!
YUMMMMMM! This looks SO GOOD! :)
Sounds delish! I might just have to add that to my menu this week :)
I'm a meal planner and this recipe looks delish! Thanks for sharing :)
xo
Rachel
um this looks absolutely divine! Adding this to my recipe list asap!!
www.adoredbyalex.com
Yum! I am pinning this so that I can make it once we are finished with our move. We have packers coming next week, so we are on the "put something together with what we've got because we're not making another trip to the commissary" meal plan right now!
Oh my! This looks delicious!
OMG. Yum. I never thought about adding cream cheese to pasta sauce! Yes.
THIS LOOKS AMAZING. ANd don't you worry - there are no recipe chalkboards in my house lol so this will be super easy to throw into the rotation!
This looks AMAZING. I'm going to have to make this TONIGHT (I can do that because I'm unorganized and don't menu plan, HA!).
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