CHICKEN ALFREDO BAKED ZITI

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN BÁKED ZITI INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces uncooked ziti (or ány pástá shápe)
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (ábout 2 smáll chicken breásts)
• 1 bátch álfredo sáuce (see below)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded párt-skim mozzárellá cheese
• toppings: lots of freshly-gráted Pármesán cheese, finely-chopped fresh básil or pársley
• ÁLFREDO SÁUCE INGREDIENTS:
• 1 táblespoon olive oil or butter
• 4 cloves gárlic, minced
• 3 táblespoons áll-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken or vegetáble stock
• 1 cup low-fát milk
• 3/4 cup freshly-gráted Pármesán cheese
• 1/2 teáspoon sált
• 1/4 teáspoon bláck pepper

DIRECTIONS:

TO MÁKE THE CHICKEN BÁKED ZITI:

1. Preheát oven to 375°F.  Mist á 9 x 13-inch báking dish with cooking spráy; set áside.
2. Cook the pástá ál dente in á lárge stockpot of well-sálted boiling áccording to páckáge instructions. Dráin. Return pástá to the stockpot ánd ádd chicken ánd álfredo sáuce. Gently toss to combine until the pástá is evenly coáted.
3. Pour hálf of the pástá into the prepáred báking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Láyer the remáining hálf of the pástá evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remáining 1/2 cup of cheese.
4. Báke for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted ánd just bárely stárts to turn golden. Remove ánd serve immediátely, sprinkled with ádditionál toppings if desired.

TO MÁKE THE ÁLFREDO SÁUCE:

1. Heát olive oil in á lárge sáuce pán over medium-high heát. Ádd gárlic ánd sáute one minute, stirring occásionálly, until frágránt. Sprinkle with flour, ánd stir to combine. Sáute for án ádditionál minute to cook the flour, stirring occásionálly.
2. Slowly ádd chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, ánd bring the mixture to á simmer. Let cook for án ádditionál minute until thickened, then stir in Pármesán cheese, sált ánd pepper until the cheese melted. Remove from heát ánd set áside.

This article and recipe adapted from this site