Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Chicken, Broccoli, and White Cheddar Cheese

In our household, you can never go wrong when making a pasta dish. I am sure my husband would love me if I made it several times a week. However, I try to only make 1 meal each week that focuses on pasta. It's healthier for our waistlines and gives us something to look forward to each week. :)

There are so many things you can do with pasta. The possibilities are limitless. This is a very tasty and nutritious meal. The great thing about this dish is that it has all the components you want in a healthy, balanced dinner. It has your lean protein, your vegetable, and your whole grains/carbohydrates. It is a very filling meal, so you won't need anything with it. If you really want to make it extra healthy, add a small side of fresh fruit on the side and eat it as dessert after your meal.

Pasta with Roasted Garlic, Chicken, Broccoli, and White Cheddar Cheese
Serves 8  1-cup servings and reheats well for leftovers
Adapted from: http://annies-eats.net/2010/06/03/pasta-with-roasted-garlic-white-cheddar-wine-sauce/

Ingredients:
1 box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Grain Rotini or Penne Pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons light stick butter
1 large bulb of garlic roasted (directions below)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry white wine - your preference (use chicken broth if you don't have any white wine)
1 cup lower sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup shredded reduced fat white cheddar cheese
1 bag frozen broccoli florets - thawed
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper for seasoning purposes

Directions:
*To roast garlic: You will need a piece of foil (enough to completely cover your bulb of garlic). Take one bulb of garlic and cut off the top of one end, which exposes some of the garlic cloves. Place the garlic bulb on the foil and drizzle a few teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil on it. Wrap the foil around it to close it completely. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. When it is done, remove from the foil and let cool. Once cooled, you will remove the garlic cloves and smash them in a bowl with a fork.
You can make several bulbs of garlic this way and just keep a few wrapped up in your refrigerator for other recipes. They stay good for a few days.

-Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box.
-In a large skillet, spray some nonstick cooking spray. Heat on medium high heat and add your seasoned chicken chunks to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is completely done. Set aside.
-In a large skillet, over medium high heat, melt your butter. Once the butter is melted you will want to add your roasted garlic and saute it for about 30 seconds.
-Add your flour to the skillet and whisk together with the butter and garlic for a few minutes, making sure to stir constantly.
-Add in your chicken broth and white wine.
-Bring mixture to a boil and then simmer on low for about 2-3 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken.
-Add your shredded white cheddar to the mix and stir until the mixture is blended and melted.
-Add any salt or pepper you wish to add for seasoning. We omit the salt but add about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
-Add the chicken chunks and broccoli florets to the mixture and make sure it blends together completely.
-You can add your pasta to the entire mixture or you can just put some pasta on a plate and add some of the mixture on top of the pasta.

Enjoy! :)