Pre-packaged ready-to-go pasta dinners are a lifesaver when zipping through the grocery store looking for quick ideas. If you have a few extra vegetables, you can dress up pre-packaged pasta from the frozen food aisle in minutes. This shortcut penne pasta with chicken and vegetables is a simple and quick idea for a weeknight dinner that’s ready in minutes.
My supermarket shortcut for this quick recipe is a package of Bertolli Chicken Alfredo & Penne which is a pre-packaged skillet meal that already includes penne pasta, chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes in a delicious creamy sauce. To turn this into a semi-homemade meal (and make it a little more substantial), I add a few fresh ingredients for a quick and tasty weeknight bite.
Quick Shortcut Pasta With Brussel Sprouts & Potatoes
I toss in beautiful bright-green brussels sprouts that I pan sear for a few minutes on each side until they are soft around the outside but still slightly crunchy on the inside.
Prepare Quick Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts
Take a 16 oz bag of brussel sprouts and trim and halve sprouts.
In a pan over medium high heat, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil and put in the brussels sprouts cut side down into the pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn them over when cut side shows signs of browning, about 2 to 5 mins.
Continue to cook on the other side for another 2 to 5 minutes until outside of brussels sprouts are soft but center is still slightly crunchy.
Make Roasted Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes
For the roasted potatoes, mince a sprig of fresh rosemary and a clove of garlic. Toss these into a bowl with cubed fingerling potatoes (about 1 inch pieces). I used a 24 oz bag of mixed white and purple petite fingerling potatoes.
The mix of white and purple potatoes adds a little pop of color and vibrance to the dish. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle them with coarse salt, pepper and a dash of ground parmesan cheese. Toss them into a 475• degree oven until the skin is crisp, golden brown, and potato is easily pierced with a fork, anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. They smell amazing when they bake!
Prepare Shortcut Penne Pasta With Chicken and Vegetables
Once you’ve got the potatoes and brussels sprouts all set, go ahead and grab your supermarket shortcut! I used Bertolli Chicken Alfredo & Penne which you can find in the frozen food aisle. Prepare this according to package directions.
Toss Shortcut Penne Pasta With Vegetables & Serve
When penne pasta is cooked and heated through, toss in the seared brussels sprouts and roasted rosemary garlic potatoes. Pour mixture into a serving dish and serve hot. Additionally, you can garnish this with a little extra ground parmesan cheese if desired.
This makes for an elegant and tasty semi-homemade meal that boasts the flavor of fresh herbs and roasted veggies. You can serve this family style with, for instance, slices of rustic bread or a fresh salad.
Need a tasty appetizer while you wait for the main course? Try this super simple Roasted Tomato With Crostini appetizer!
Shortcut Pasta With Chicken & Vegetables
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Package Bertolli Chicken Alfredo & Penne frozen pasta meal - or your favorite pre-packaged pasta meal
- 16oz Bag Brussels sprouts
- 24oz Bag Petite fingerling potatoes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp coase salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary - minced
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 tsp ground parmesan cheese - pluse more for garnishing after serving
Instructions
- Cut fingerling potatoes into 1 inch cubes and toss them into a bowl.
- Toss in minced rosemary, minced garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and ground parmesan cheese.
- Toss ingredients together and pour onto a baking sheet. Arrange the pieces skin side up.
- Roast potatoes in a 475 degree oven until golden, and easily pierced with a fork. Anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. When they are done, remove from the oven and put them into a bowl and set aside.
- In a pan over medium high heat, drizzle olive oil and put trimmed and halved brussels sprouts cut side down. Sprinkle them with coarse salt and sear sprouts until they show signs of browning (about 2 to 5 minutes).
- Flip sprouts once they are browned so the cut sides are now up and cook on the other side for an additional 2 to 5 minutes. Cook until outsides are soft but inside is still slightly crunchy. When they are done, remove them from pan right away and into a bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare pre-packed pasta (I used Bertolli Penne Pasta with chicken) according to package directions.
- Pour prepared shortcut pasta into a large serving dish and add rosemary garlic roasted potatoes and seared brussel sprouts. Toss together with pasta and serve hot.
- Sprinkle with ground parmesan cheese if desired.