Healthy Eating: Penne with Broccoli and Sundried Tomatoes

It's time to get back to some healthy eating!  Usually my cooking is reserved for comfort foods, carb bombs, and rich/creamy/gooey anything.  This creation is the result of overbuying broccoli at the farmer's market last Saturday (seriously, an enormous bag of broccoli for $3... couldn't pass it up).  I like it roasted or steamed, but this one is mixed with whole grain pasta and sundried tomatoes for a light dinner.

I used a cooking technique I got from this recipe by the Pioneer Woman.  It creates a light sauce without a lot of fat.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
One large or two medium chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
Two tablespoons flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper
Two cloves garlic, minced or sliced
One or two heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 6 cups)
One bottle white wine
One pound box whole grain penne or similar-sized pasta
One cup sundried tomatoes (if using the kind packed in oil, decrease wine by 1 cup)

Set a large pot of salted water on high heat for the pasta and broccoli.

Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat.  Dice the chicken breast and coat it very lightly in the seasoned flour.  (I put it all in a Ziploc bag and shake it up.  The chicken does not have to be completely coated).  Cook the chicken until browned on all sides but do not over cook.  Remove cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil or another plate to keep warm.

Keep the pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil if it is dry.  Saute the garlic for one minute, until fragrant.  Increase the heat to medium high and add 3/4 of the bottle of wine to deglaze.  Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the pan drippings.  Add the sundried tomatoes and cook over medium heat, until sauce begins to reduce and the tomatoes are softened.  When sauce has reached desired thickness, add the reserved chicken and juices and cover to keep warm.

When the salted water is boiling, add the pasta and stir.  About halfway through the cooking time, add the broccoli florets.  When pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the water.

Return the pasta to the pot and add the wine sauce, stirring to combine.  Add some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too dry.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese!