Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce,

It's time again for my favorite recipe swap, blogger's choice. This time I was assigned Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. There were so many amazing recipes to choose from, but this pasta dish stood out to me.  I love roasted garlic and C doesn't complain about the smell like he does with sauteed garlic, so it was a win-win.  This sauce is amazing.  I will definitely be using the sauce on other pasta recipes as well.  The roasted garlic really sets it apart from a regular alfredo sauce.  Miss F devoured her pasta, broccoli and bell peppers.  We don't have a grill, so I roasted the chicken while the garlic was roasting.  Thanks to A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting another great swap!

Chicken and Vegetables in a Garlic Cream Sauce

1 head of garlic
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound of penne pasta
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ red onion, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn starch
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 head of broccoli, chopped
6 to 8 basil leaves, chiffonaded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the top portion of the garlic head, drizzle with one teaspoon of the olive oil and season with salt. Wrap the garlic in foil and bake for 45 minutes and let cool. Remove the garlic cloves by squeezing the garlic from bottom. Add roasted garlic cloves into a mortar and pestle, mash until it resembles a paste. Add a little bit of olive oil to help liquefy.

While the garlic is roasting, place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over each breast and sprinkle with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. Slice into strips after resting for 5 minutes.

Cook the penne per package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and onions to the skillet. Cook until the onions are slightly translucent for 5 minutes. Whisk together the prepared garlic paste, cream and corn starch. Pour the cream mixture into the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the parmesan cheese and broccoli and mix well. Let it cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the penne into the sauce. Top the pasta with the sliced chicken; garnish with basil leaves and additional parmesan cheese.

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