Looking for a quick and easy dinner idea? Try this all-in-one meal, full of flavor and fresh vegetables. If zucchini isn’t your thing, try asparagus or sugar snap peas.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz (half box) linguine or fettucine
1 lb zucchini, halved cross-wise and sliced into thin moons
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 oz soft goat cheese 
2-3 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Sear chicken on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until done.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tsp salt and pasta, cooking according to package directions until al dente, about 8 minutes. 

Heat additional 1-2 tsp oil in skillet chicken was seared in and add onions and zucchini. Saute for 5 minutes and stir in garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Saute another 2 minutes.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the water. Add goat cheese to pasta and reserved water, stirring well until creamy. Stir in zucchini mixture. Top with 1/4 tsp pepper.

Nestle cooked chicken breasts into pasta and serve immediately. 

Want a bowl of comfort food? Try this simple and quick recipe for a homemade “Alfredo” style sauce. Toss this sauce with any pasta, such as angel hair or fettuccine. I prefer whole wheat pasta, it seems heartier to me, but that’s my personal taste. This sauce is warm, creamy, and soothing after a harsh winter day. There is no need to add salt to this sauce, as the condensed soup has enough sodium.

1 can condensed cream of mushroom and chicken soup
1 can-ful of milk
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper

Over medium heat, combine condensed soup and Parmesan cheese in a small saucepan. Fill empty soup can with milk, add it to the saucepan gradually, until sauce is at desired consistency. Stir well, heating sauce for 10-15 minutes until smooth (do not bring to a boil, reduce heat if needed). Top with ground pepper to taste, serve immediately over pasta.

If you bring the pasta water to a boil first, the sauce will be ready by the time the pasta is cooked. Spoon sauce over pasta, top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

This pasta was inspired by a Giada De Laurentiis episdoe of Everyday Italian. The original recipe, called Thimbles with Mushrooms and Artichokes, has pasta with a creamy, light Marsala sauce. I updated the recipe with asparagus instead of artichokes and added some garlic. Instead of “thimble” pasta, any twisty shape pasta will work. I used a corkscrew shaped pasta, one of my favorites. Try this for a quick and tasty dinner.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt, plus 3/4 tsp
1 lb mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned, and finely chopped
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 lb pasta
1/2 lb fresh asparagus, halved lengthwise and crosswise
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and 1 tsp of the salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms have cooked down, about 10 minutes. Add the Marsala and continue cooking until almost all the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in remaining 3/4 tsp salt. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and continue to cook until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite and asparagus is crisp-tender, another 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and add it into the mushrooms, Marsala, and onions. Add the cream and Parmesan and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and pepper.

Serve immediately, topped with additional Parmesan if desired.

Here is a quick recipe that works for one or more! Bright lemon mixes with dill and whole wheat pasta for a great weeknight dish. Adjust the recipe for the number of servings you would like.

whole wheat pasta
salt and pepper
1 lemon
olive oil
fresh snipped dill, or dried dill
parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Measure the number of pasta servings and cook to package directions. Drain pasta and seperate into bowls.

Into each bowl, add 1 tsp olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tsp fresh dill or 1/4 tsp dried dill, 1 tbsp parmensan cheese, and fresh ground black pepper. Grate a little lemon zest on top of each bowl. Toss well and serve!

Shown below, with whole wheat angel hair pasta:

This recipe originally was called “Pre-Game Paella” from Campbell’s kitchen and includes shrimp, turkey kielbasa, and chicken. I substituted some fresh vegetables for the chicken, but you could also go vegetarian in this dish by using beans, eggplant, or another hearty vegetable in the dish. And, as promised, here is Recipe #4 for Turmeric-mania!

1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
4 cups (32 oz) heated chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa or picante sauce
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 pkg (16 oz) turkey or pork kielbasa
1 pkg (12 oz) frozen shelled and deveined small cooked shrimp, thawed
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen or refrigerated cooked chicken breast strips

Heat oil in a 12 inch or larger skillet. Add rice and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, salsa, and turmeric and heat to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in kielbasa, shrimp, and chicken. Cover skillet and cook until rice is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes.

Seen below, with a vegetable medley replacing chicken breast strips: