Recipe for Pasta with Vegetables and Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of broccoli, washed and chopped
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, washed, peeled, and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 pound of chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 pound of pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
• 1 cup of Ranch dressing
• grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped, fresh basil to garnish

Directions:

Wash and chop the vegetables and dice the chicken.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the chicken and saute the chicken pieces with the garlic over medium-high heat, about 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken is golden-light brown and not pink in the center.  Remove from heat when done.  In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Boil the pasta according to package directions.  About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli and carrots to the pasta. This cooks the vegetables just enough to get them tender-crisp.  When the pasta is just tender but not mushy, drain the pasta and vegetables in a colander and then return them to the pot.  Add the cooked chicken to the pot, and then pour in the Ranch dressing.  Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is combined and heated through.  Serve warm, topped with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.  Enjoy!