Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta

A few months back I made a very similar pasta dish which was inspired by the Philadelphia Cooking Cremes. Well it has occurred to me that I don't always have that in my fridge and I can't use a tub of it up fast enough before it goes bad so I figured I better try to make my own as I really enjoyed the meal. So the below is an alternate to that meal that I really enjoyed and I think you will too, one thing I wasn't crazy about in the Philly Cremes was the overpowering quality of the spices in the dip (hence why I diluted it with the sour cream!) well this recipe solves that problem. I used fresh herbs from my garden and wow, what a difference. It tastes fresh and creamy and I would even venture to say this would be great as a cold salad!

Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta: serves 4

8oz Pasta
1 Chicken Breast (Boneless/Skinless - approx 225g)
1 Bunch Asparagus (approx 1lb) - ends trimmed
1TB Olive Oil
1/2C Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)
2TB Milk
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
2-3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/4tsp Onion Powder
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1TB Fresh Basil (1tsp dried)
1TB Fresh Oregano (1tsp dried)
Salt & Pepper

Mix the sour cream, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, basil and oregano together and set to the side.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. drain and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking toss the trimmed asparagus with 1.5tsp of the olive oil, salt and pepper and either saute on a pan, or place in a 350° oven for approximately 10-15 minutes until the asparagus is bright green, still has a little bit of a crunch to it, yet no longer tastes raw. Remove from the oven and slice into 1" segments and set to the side.

Time for some multi-tasking. While the asparagus is doing its thing, slice the chicken into small bite size pieces and mix with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1.5tsp of olive oil to a saute pan with the garlic over medium heat and allow to cook for about 45 seconds until the garlic turns fragrant. Toss the chicken into the pan and toss in the oil and garlic and cook for approximately 6-8 minutes, flipping once until the chicken is cooked through.

Now that everything is cooked it is time to assemble. Add all of the parts together and stir well to incorporate the sauce all over everything. Split into 4 serving bowls and enjoy! I'm glad that the Philly Cremes made me think of this recipe but I'm even happier I decided to do it myself as the flavors are exactly where I wanted them this time.

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving