A tasty and healthy whole wheat penne mixed with vegetables, chicken and bacon, all covered in a tangy pesto vinaigrette.
Recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry
(Worth Every Penne)
(Worth Every Penne)2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp basil pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
4 slices chopped turkey bacon
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large red onion, chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup crumbled light feta cheese
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, pesto, oil, honey and pepper; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, cook the bacon, mushrooms and onion until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and tomatoes; cook until spinach is wilted. Add chicken and cook until heated through. Remove from heat. Mix in cooked penne noodles, reserved sauce and feta. Stir well until combined.
Wow! Just wow. This was so delicious that I couldn’t stop eating it. Tony love it too and said it tasted like it came from a restaurant. Bennett asked for a second helping so I know he liked it as well. Cole told me it tasted kind of bad and asked if he would die from eating it. I assured him he would not. He complained a lot but funnily enough he ate most of it despite all of his whining. This is was a great wholesome and pasta dish, and I thought the turkey bacon and feta cheese made it especially yummy.
Food and Whine 
This is one of my DH’s favourite dishes from ESBM. Very yummy! We don’t like mushrooms so I’ve replaced them with broccoli or zucchini.
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Eat Shrink and Be Merry sounds like a great cookbook. I love all the flavors in that pasta dish!
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that sounds so flavorful. Hope you have a great weekend.
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I love that recipe too! I’ve made it a few times now.
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That looks so yummy! Did you cook the chicken beforehand or did you use ready cooked chicken strips?
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I cooked the chicken beforehand on my indoor grill. You could also use a deli rotisserie chicken.
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Thanks, Megan! I just love your blog!
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Thanks SEL!
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Ok I’m making this tonight and prepping it now. :)It doesn’t seem like a lot of sauce. Is it?
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It isn’t much sauce, but there’s still a lot of flavour from the feta cheese and bacon. Although I do remember someone in the ES&BM thread on weddingbells saying they thought it could use more sauce. I didn’t think so, but I guess it depends on your taste.
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Thanks! I added a touch more sauce and I only had sundried tomato pesto (that I had on-hand from your tuna pasta recipe :)) so that’s what I’m using. Hopefully it’s still as good.I’ll let you know how it turns out!
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I made this recipe yesterday and both my husband and I totally loved it. I’ve recently discovered your blog (thanks to A sophisticated Mommy!) and I like it very much. I tried the sweet potatoes and quinoa soup, it became one of our favorites. I plan on trying some more recipes when I have some time. I like that you add your own comments and the source (and that they are healthy, of course!) I’ve just ordered the ESBM book, can’t wait to get it. Many thanks!!
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Thanks manazca!
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Yep, Megan…this was FANTASTIC! And really good with the Sundried Tomato Pesto instead of the basil pesto. I even had the left overs for lunch today. Mmm!Thanks again!
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The fact that Cole thought he might die from eating it kills me. Too, too funny.Looks really good.
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Love Cole’s comments. That boy is hysterical.
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I made this tonight. Paul and I loved it, and I made it for a friend who just had a baby and she complimented it too. Keeper recipe; thanks!
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Such a nice blog. I really enjoyed reading it.
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