Cooking For 2 | Tomato Basil Pasta

I recently started getting my love for cooking & creating new dishes back. Not long after I got pregnant (April 2013) I lost my love of cooking. I would make something and then would be unable to eat or enjoy it once it was ready. It was horrible! For months I cooked almost nothing. I ate simple things like cereal, sandwiches and salads. I am SO glad that my love for cooking is coming back though. I think hubby is glad too. This is a dish I've wanted to make for awhile but haven’t because of reasons listed above. I love Italian food and was really pleased with how delicious this dish turned out.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

4oz. cream cheese (1/2 package)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ stick butter

2 ¼ cups milk

1 6oz. can tomato paste

3 Tablespoons white flour

1 Tablespoon basil

1 lb. pasta

1 6oz. jar Giorgio sliced mushrooms

1 15oz. can Italian diced tomatoes

Directions

1. Cook the chicken breasts in boiling water for 30 minutes or until completely white when cut open. When the chicken finishes cooking set it out to cool, save the juice to cook noodles in.

2. In a saucepan, mix together the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, butter, milk, and tomato paste. Drain the mushroom & tomato juice into the pot to add flavor. Bring to a light boil on medium-high heat. Add in basil.

3. Boil your pasta using the leftover juice from cooking the chicken.

4. When the sauce is hot stir in the flour and when it has a nice texture turn the heat off.

5. Add your previously drained mushrooms & tomatoes to the pasta sauce.

6. Shred the chicken and add to the sauce.

7. Stir the noodles into the sauce.

8. Serve the pasta hot with parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

-We ate our tomato basil pasta with some garlic & cheese Texas toast. It was delicious!

-We had enough leftovers for dinner the next night so this recipe is a little more than 2 would eat in one meal.