Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

This recipe intrigued me because of the cottage cheese. You puree it in a blender and it makes the sauce of this casserole. It was a good one, we all enjoyed it and I froze some individual portions for another time. Basic ingredients, it was a casserole with ingredients I usually have on hand. It was yummy and not too heavy for our hot Texas summers.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

1 tsp. olive oil
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
NOT 1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used yellow)
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (16 oz.) carton 2% lowfat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne pasta (about 8 oz. uncooked)
2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 can reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken soup

*Start your pasta*
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, NOT the onions, and bell pepper; saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; saute 3 more minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in food processor (or blender); process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar, 1/4 cup Parmesan, milk, and soup in large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and then Parmesan. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

(Serves 6-8)
(Cooking Light, March 2006)