Light and Creamy Chicken Penne (aka Comfort)

Feeds 2-3 people.

Chicken
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts cut into 2" strips
Flour
1 egg
Italian bread crumbs

In a ziplock bag, toss chicken strips with flour. Scramble 1 egg and add to ziplock bag, toss. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, toss. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Cook chicken strips until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Take chicken out of the skillet and set aside. Note: I like to put the chicken on a piece of paper towel to drain unneeded oil off.

Begin boiling water now and cook penne until el dente.

Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 large red onion chopped
1/4 large red pepper chopped
1/4 to 1/2 can of chick peas
2 garlic gloves grated
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup grated asiago or parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put one cup of chicken broth in the same skillet you cooked the chicken in and scrape the bits of chicken from the bottom. Add all veggies except the garlic and bring to a boil. Boil on medium for approximately 8-10 minutes (until veggies are soft). Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Strain this mixture over a bowl, set strainer with veggies to the side and pour sauce back into the skillet. Add the milk and half of the cheese and turn up the heat to bring back to a slight boil, stirring regularly, and then reduce to a simmer and add the rest of the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: If you like a thicker sauce, stir 1 tablespoon of flour with 1/4 cup water and add a little of this mixture to the sauce at a time until you get the consistency you like.

Finishing touches:
When your cream sauce is complete, add the veggies, pasta and chicken back into the skillet and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for a few minutes on low heat so that the ingredients absorb some of the sauce. Enjoy!