Chicken Penne Casserole

It's a cold, windy and just plain nasty day here in Iowa. Makes me want to curl up on the couch with a plate of this casserole. I made this last week on day where we got about 5 inches of snow, it was the perfect comfort food to warm our bodies!

You'll love this dish, it's filled with tons of hearty Italian flavors. I like it with chicken but ground beef would be good as well. Serve this along side a salad and some garlic bread and you've got a nice homecooked meal that's sure to please everyone!

Chicken Penne Casserole

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup each chopped green and red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large pan saute the chicken, peppers, garlic and seasonings in oil until chicken is no longer pink. In a food processor, puree tomatoes until no big chunks remain. Add to chicken mixture. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Drain pasta, toss with chicken mixture. Spoon half of the mixture into a greased 11x7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover, bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through.