Garlic Chicken Pasta (Or Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta)

Dixie Vader's Note:

I got this recipe from a great blog called Heavenly Homemakers. When you cook the pasta in the milk, it makes it's own sauce from the starch in the noodles. Her original recipe called for whole milk and whole wheat pasta, but I make it with 2% milk and regular pasta and it turns out great. Supposedly it works with skim milk too, but I haven't tried yet. She has a video posted on Youtube of how to make this recipe if anyone is interested. It's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjCbxDUXW_o).

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 garlic cloves or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups pasta (shells, spiral, fettuccine, whatever you like!)
• 3 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

For Three Cheese Garlic Chicken add

• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 3 ounces cream cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet, saute cooked chicken and garlic in olive oil. Turn to low heat to keep warm while you're cooking the pasta.
2. Place the pasta in a large pot with the milk, butter and salt. Bring to a boil over med-hi heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent the milk from scorching.
3. When it comes to a boil, turn down to medium heat and stir constantly until pasta is tender and the starch from the pasta has thickened the milk into a creamy sauce. There shouldn't be any liquid left over, it should be like white sauce.
4. Remove from heat and stir in chicken/garlic.
5. Serve immediately…sprinkling Parmesan cheese on each serving.
6. To make Three Cheese Garlic Chicken:.
7. Follow recipe as above, except before adding chicken to cooked pasta, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 3 oz. cream cheese.
8. Stir until cheese has melted then add chicken and serve with Parmesan cheese.