Chicken Artichoke Pasta

Have mercy. I need a break from snot patrol.

Yum. Let's eat!

I found the recipe in Healthy Cooking and had the chance to try it out last week...or was it last month...things are a little backlogged around here.

This was really good - loaded with fresh veggies and the sometimes-needed one-pot type meal. I'll definitely make this again. It wasn't overpowering in flavor, so see my notes at the end for possible ways you could snaz it up a bit.

Chicken Artichoke Pasta

adapted from Healthy Cooking magazine

2-1/4 cups uncooked pasta (I used penne)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, cook and stir broccoli in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Add the artichokes, salt and oregano; heat through. Combine the flour with broth and wine or additional broth until smooth; stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add parsley and reserved chicken. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

My notes: I hate skillet cooked chicken. Rather, I hate how I cook chicken in a skillet. So baked my chicken, sprinkling on a few of the same herbs used later in the dish. Then, let it rest while throwing together the rest of the ingredients. I also skipped the Parmesan and parsley at the end.

Next time I make this, I think I'll zip up the flavor just a bit by added one or more of the following ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes, olives (any color), fresh mozzarella, dried red pepper flakes....any other ideas?