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When it comes to simple meals you can make for your family, it just doesn’t get much easier than this chicken parmesan pasta toss. With basic ingredients you can find at any grocery store, this is a meal that will be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
The recipe as written is a good and cheesy pasta dish. While the recipe calls for mozzarella cheese, you can also make it fit the definition of a chicken parmesan pasta dish by substituting half of the mozzarella for parmesan cheese instead. Either way, it’s still going to be delicious and easy.
With prepared ingredients already ready for you to combine, this meal is a go-to on nights when you’re so busy you might otherwise go through a drive-thru for fast food. But this is heartier, healthier, and more importantly, cheaper than any meal you can get from a fast-food window.
As you’ll see, this recipe is almost endlessly customizable. When you start with chicken and pasta, you can combine it with a variety of different sauces. Chicken and pasta are always the beginnings of a healthy and affordable meal. If you have a couple of extra minutes, you could try cooking some fresh chicken tenderloins instead of using the frozen and breaded variety. It will be about the same price for either, so the choice is really up to you.
Lemon Chicken Pasta Toss
If you’re looking for a variation on the chicken parmesan pasta, this lemon chicken pasta toss is just as easy but still delicious. From the original recipe, you’ll still want to keep the pasta, chicken, and cheese. As you can see, we’re already off to an easy start.
Instead of using the tomato pasta sauce, substitute it with a jar of alfredo sauce. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the alfredo sauce to give it a fresh lemony flavor. If you wish, you can also add a teaspoon of dried basil or Italian seasoning. Cover the noodles with the sauce and add the chicken and cheese to the combination.
Lemon chicken is a good base to complement other vegetables, too. A bag of frozen veggies will add a fresh flavor to the lemon chicken pasta, almost like a pasta primavera. Frozen vegetables are obviously the quickest option. But you can also use matchstick cut carrots and some diced red peppers instead of a great taste.
A lemon chicken pasta toss can be just as simple to make as the chicken parmesan pasta toss. Either way, it’s still a hearty meal that you can serve to your family without spending a lot of money. You won’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen either cooking or cleaning up, either. The goal of a family meal is just being together.
Pasta Tossed in Olive Oil
Pasta tossed in olive oil is another easy variation on the chicken parmesan pasta toss. This dish looks incredibly simple and it is; it won’t require you to spend any extra time in the kitchen. But despite the simplicity of this recipe, you’ll find that it’s a delicious and healthy pasta dish.
To make this easy recipe, you’ll use many of the same ingredients as in the chicken parmesan pasta toss. You’ll still want to boil an entire package of noodles. Instead of the jar of sauce, you’ll want just a third cup of olive oil, enough to lightly coat the noodles. Most traditional recipes for olive oil and pasta also call for minced garlic, as much as you think your family prefers. My family personally likes garlic quite a bit, but adjust it according to your own tastes.
You can still use the chicken with the noodles, even though it’s not traditionally a part of most recipes for pasta tossed in olive oil. Chicken will add some extra protein to help the meal keep you feeling full for longer. It’s up to you whether you want to use mozzarella or parmesan cheese—either one will go great with the dish.
No matter which way you decide to make this pasta, it’s still going to be a quick and easy meal. As a busy mom, I can guarantee that all three different ways to make this pasta will end up on my family’s regular meal rotation. The only thing I love more than pasta is being able to feed my family a cheap and easy meal every night.
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to check out our Italian Chicken and Peppers and our Scalloped Chicken and Pasta.
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Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
When it comes to simple meals you can make for your family, it just doesn’t get much easier than this chicken parmesan pasta toss. With basic ingredients you can find at any grocery store, this is a meal that will be ready and on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (1 pound 10 ounce) pasta sauce
- 8 ounces fusilli, bucati or your favorite pasta
- 1 package (12 ounce) baked breaded low-fat chicken breast tenders
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 8 ounces)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Heat chicken breast tenders according to package.
- In 2-quart saucepan, heat pasta sauce.
- In large serving bowl, combine heated sauce, pasta, chicken and 1 cup cheese.
- Top with remaining 1 cup cheese and serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: lemon chicken pasta toss, pasta tossed in olive oil