Winner winner chicken dinner

I've been shamefully remiss with my work lunches lately and have found myself shelling out far too much moolah on a daily basis for a tasty sandwich from the local haunt. No more! I am determined to find meals that are relatively easy to cook during the week that will keep for a few days and take the place of recent extravagance. I think I found a good one with...

Pesto chicken pasta bake. A couple of weeks ago I made a batch of pesto with almonds, macadamia nuts, spinach, arugula, and basil, which was pretty darn smooth and tasty. I portioned it out into an ice cube tray and put the frozen chunks into a freezer bag for later use. Tonight...they called to me.



I think, considering the premise, this turned out to be fairly low-cal. Low-ish...

You will need:
3/4 lb pasta (avoid long stringy varieties)
2 c chicken broth
3 chicken thighs or 2 breasts, or a mix
1/2 c pesto
1 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c greek yogurt
2 c arugula
Parmesan to taste
S & P

Put the broth, pesto, and chicken in a medium-sized dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through (about 20 minutes).

And no, it doesn't look pretty. Just give me a minute, ok? Geez, so much pressure.

The chicken doesn't have to be completely covered, but this is going to be the sauce for later so you want it to be juicy.

While that cooks, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. UNDERcook it so that it is very al dente. It's going to bake with the saucey goodness in the oven, so you want to make sure it's not fully cooked just yet. When it's still a bit chewy, drain and set aside.

When the chicken is ready, remove the pieces and shred. Place it back in the pot and cook a bit longer. Preheat your oven to 350.

Once it has ruminated for a bit (maybe 5 extra minutes), turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Once it melts in and becomes creamy deliciousness, add the pasta, cheese, and arugula.

Sprinkle with some Parm. and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. It comes out super saucey and creamy, with a pleasant kick from the arugula.

Nom and enjoy!