Heavenly Chicken Pasta dishes

I'm thoroughly uninspired cooking wise these days, but since the weather has cooled down, it's time to cook something a little more substantial, hearty and in a jiffy. Check out these 2 different chicken pasta recipes.

Chicken Pasta Heaven via UKTV Food

What you need! Feeds 4 hungry people

· 1 aubergine, roughly chopped

· 3 leeks, sliced

· 4 red onions, peeled, quartered

· 5-6 tbsp olive oil

· 3 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

· 6 tomatoes, quartered

· 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme or sage

· 1kg penne pasta

· 100g butter

· 5 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

· 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

· 500g mascarpone

· 200g cooked chicken, strips

Make it!

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

2. Place the aubergine, leeks and red onions into a large roasting tray and drizzle over two tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix well to coat, then roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until starting to soften.

3. Add the peppers, tomatoes and herbs to the roasting tin, mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture looks a little dry. Return the tray to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir in the butter and toss well to coat.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, the remaining olive oil and the garlic until well combined.

6. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and tip them into the pan with the pasta, then add the cooked chicken strips. Drizzle over the parsley, olive oil and garlic sauce and mix well.

7. Stir in the mascarpone cheese until the pasta is coated and the sauce is creamy and smooth. Pile into pasta bowls and serve immediately.

Came across this Kraft recipe via Group Recipes.

What you need to feed 4 hungry big people:

• 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
• 2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make it!

• HEAT oven to 375ºF.
• COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.
• COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.
• DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.
• BAKE 20 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min.