Sun-dried Tomato RIcotta Penne

My photos aren't very good because of no decent lighting but the dish really was tasty, easy, and should please everyone in the family.

8-10 chicken tenderloins or two chicken breasts (I used frozen tenders and defrosted them 3/4way by allowing them to sit out)
1 box of penne (whole wheat will work very nicely)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes in oil (mostly drained), thinly sliced
1 small container of part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of regular cream
1 bag of pre-washed spinach
3 zucchinis (cut in half and either very thinly sliced or sliced with a mandolin slicer)
1 tbs of olive oil
1 tbs of butter (I use Smart Balance)
salt and pepper to taste
pecorino romano or parmesan cheese


Start pot of boiling water for penne.


In a very large skillet with olive oil,  saute the chicken on high heat. Make sure you salt and pepper the chicken before adding to the skillet. Brown each side for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Don't worry about chicken not being cooked through totally.

Decrease heat to low and saute garlic for a minute or two. Be careful not to burn the garlic and remove from the heat for a minute if necessary.  Add sun-dried tomatoes. Then, zucchini. Add butter, cream, and ricotta cheese. Mix thoroughly and heat through on low to medium heat.

Add penne to boiling water and follow directions on box.

Chop chicken into bite size pieces and add back into the skillet. Then add the spinach and heat on low. If the mixture becomes too dry, feel free to add some pasta cooking liquid. Once the pasta is al dente, drain and add it into the skillet. Salt and and pepper to taste.

When serving, add grated pecorino romano or parmesan.

**Note-If you want added flavor, lemon zest or juice, more sun-dried tomatoes, or red pepper flakes would be a nice addition. I made this dish to accommodate Grant who is quite picky. Also, this dish makes A LOT.  I see this as a good thing because I love leftovers. Sometimes I need to re-heat the recipe the next day in order to decide if I like it or not (I know, kind of strange).

I served a side salad with this dish but honestly, most of your major food groups are already covered so by itself, it's perfect to me.

Enjoy!