Tommy C’s Beauty Of A Dump-And-Bake Supper Dish

Once again, my wife and I have no idea where this came from, but after we served it for company, everybody wanted the recipe to take home. How can you not love something with "Dump-And-Bake" in its name?

10 minutes to prep this chicken pasta dish, that's it! Super easy, comforting and delicious, thanks again to "The Bottomless Box of Unclaimed Recipes". Serve with some fresh Italian bread or whatever you like. Putting it together is wicked simple too, you just plop the stuff in a dish and go! Not much to clean up afterwards, which is always nice...

Dump-And-Bake Creamy Tuscan Pasta:

(Main course; 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce package uncooked rotini pasta

1 22 ounce jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 1/2 cups)

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced chicken)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 four ounce jar diced roasted red peppers, drained (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained)

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Optional: parm. cheese and fresh chopped herbs like basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions (or, "Here we go!"):

1) Pre-heat oven to 425

2) In a large 13 x 9-inch baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, chicken, garlic, red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. No peeking!

3) Uncover and stir. Check the pasta and make sure that it's al dente (firm, but just about finished cooking). If it's still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente, then go to the next step.

4) Once the pasta is al dente, gently stir in the fresh spinach. The spinach will wilt almost instantly as you stir it into the hot pasta. Sprinkle mozzarella or blended cheeses over the top and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).

5) Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or fresh chopped herbs.

Cooking for a smaller crowd? Just cut the ingredients in half and bake the pasta in a smaller 8-or-9-inch square dish.

Want to get the dish done and outta-the-way so you can join your friends for a much needed Happy Hour? Prepare the dish thru Step 2; cover with foil and keep in fridge until you're ready to bake it later.

You will be coming back to this recipe more than once, guaranteed...