The latest and greatest: Thai Chicken Pasta

(Post preface:  While I did have some food classes in college, the majority of what I studied was: "What's in the human body?  How does it work?  How do nutrients, vitamins, and minerals affect body processes?"  I am not a chef.  However, I am a very willing cook.  This means a few things:  1.  I don't usually create my own recipes.  2.  I spend a lot of time looking up other people's recipes.  3.  It might not always taste the best, but I can tell you 10 solid health reasons why we should eat it anyway.)

From Better Homes & Gardens (bhg.com):

Chicken & Pasta in Peanut Sauce

Find the full recipe here.

My dad comes over for dinner often, and he loves Thai food.  When I found this recipe online, I knew it would be a great one to have for those days when work runs late and I don't have much time to spend on supper.

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 8  oz.  thin spaghetti
• 1  bunch  broccolini, cut in 2-inch lengths (I used broccoli because I can't buy broccolini locally)
• 1  medium  red sweet pepper, cut in bite-size strips
• 1  lb.  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1  Tbsp.  olive oil
• 1/2  cup  bottled peanut sauce
• Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions: 
1.   In Dutch oven cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccolini and sweet pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to Dutch oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, halve chicken breasts horizontally. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In extra large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until no longer pink (170 degrees F). Transfer to cutting board. Slice chicken; add to pasta and vegetables. Heat through. Add peanut sauce. Pass crushed red pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrient Analysis:  Calories 467,  Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 66 mg, Sodium 634 mg, Carbohydrate 55g, Fiber 5g, Protein 37 g

Thoughts:

• I added carrots along with the broccoli and sweet pepper.
• I would add the veggies earlier - like 5-7 minutes before cooking time is over. When you add the veggies, it stops the water boiling for a little bit.  The time it takes for the water to reach boiling again means that the pasta had to cook for that much longer and can lead to mushy pasta (not that this happened to me...).
• Peanut sauce is spicy!  If you don't want to use bottled sauce, I know there are lots of recipes out there for peanut sauce.  Making your own sauce could reduce the sodium content of this dish and allow you to adjust the spiciness.
• To save even more time, chop your veggies the night before.

 Hubby's reaction:  Although not a big fan of Asian dishes, he ate it with no complaints.  Dad loved it!