Creamy Bow-Tie Pasta with Chicken

We ate this last night for dinner and my kids and my husband kept oooing and ahhhing. We usually have a loaf of garlic bread and a green salad with it.

Prep Time:

10 min

Total Time:

25 min

Makes:

6 servings, about 1-1/2 cups each

Ingredients:

3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked

3 Tbsp. KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups (1 24oz jar) tomato-basil spaghetti sauce

8 oz. (1 block) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

COOK pasta as directed on package (adding broccoli, if you choose, to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time). Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 5 min. Turn chicken over; continue cooking 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).

DRAIN pasta mixture in colander; return to pan and set aside. Add spaghetti sauce and cream cheese to chicken in skillet; cook on medium-low heat 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted, mixture is well blended and chicken is coated with sauce, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Add sauce mixture to pasta mixture; mix well. Transfer to six serving bowls.

CUT chicken crosswise into thick slices; fan out chicken over pasta mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Gina's Tips

The original recipe calls for 4 cups broccoli florets but I omit the broccoli because I think the flavor of the dish is better without it. Maybe you can serve it as a side dish instead.

It also calls for only 4 ounces of the cream cheese block but I use the entire 8 ounces.

After cooking the chicken I drain the juices out of the skillet and then add 3 more tbsp Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing. I also cut up the chicken and just stir it into the sauce.