When the days are short, the nights are long and the temperatures drop, we all crave some comfort food…and just because you’re living with diabetes doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in some of the just-like-mom made dishes we all seem to crave at this time of year.
With smart recipes like this Chicken and Broccolini Cavatelli from Diabetic Living, you can savor the warm, creamy goodness without throwing your blood sugar out of whack! Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 whole bulb garlic
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 ounces dried cavatelli
- 3 cups Broccolini spears (about 8 ounces)
- 2 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons light butter with canola oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated fat-free milk
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Snipped fresh chives
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the garlic bulb to expose ends of individual cloves. Leaving bulb whole, remove any loose papery outer layers. Place bulb, cut end up, on a double thickness of foil. Drizzle bulb with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Bring foil up around bulb and fold edges together to loosely enclose. Roast 20 to 25 minutes or until garlic feels soft when squeezed. Let cool. Squeeze garlic from skins into a small bowl; mash with a fork. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, adding Broccolini for the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Set pasta, Broccolini, and reserved cooking liquid aside.
- In a 6-quart Dutch oven heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove pancetta from Dutch oven; set aside. Add chicken pieces to Dutch oven. Cook 7 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F). Remove from Dutch oven; set aside.
- In the same Dutch oven melt light butter over medium heat. Whisk in the mashed garlic, the flour, the 2 tablespoons chives, the salt, and pepper until combined. Add milk and evaporated milk, whisking until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Parmesan cheese, cooked chicken, cooked pasta, and cooked Broccolini. Toss to combine. Add enough of the reserved pasta cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Top with crispy pancetta and additional chives.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
Servings Per Recipe: 6
PER SERVING: 343 cal., 10 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 57 mg chol., 464 mg sodium, 33 g carb. (2 g fiber, 7 g sugars), 27 g pro.
