Creamy Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• Orzo

  Safeway

  1 cup dry or 173g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  4 tbsp or 54g

• Chicken breast

  Broilers or fryers, meat only, raw

  16 oz or 454g

• Asparagus

  Raw

  1 lb or 453g

• Salt

  Table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Pepper

  Spices, black

  1 dash or 0.1g

• Cherry tomatoes

  Red, ripe, raw, year round average

  2 cup cherry tomatoes or 298g

• Wheat flour

  White, all-purpose, unenriched

  3 tbsp or 23g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, less/reduced sodium

  1 cup or 240g

• Almond milk

  Plain

  1 cup or 240g

• Parmesan cheese

  Shredded

  1 cup or 80g

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a small cup of cooking water if you’d like to loosen the sauce later.
2. Heat one-fourth of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken and asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through to 165°F and the asparagus is crisp-tender, 8–10 minutes.
3. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook until just beginning to soften, 2–3 minutes. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a bowl.
4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly to form a smooth roux, about 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth, then whisk in the almond milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in the Parmesan until melted and the sauce is creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Add the cooked orzo and the chicken-vegetable mixture to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. If needed, splash in a bit of reserved pasta water to loosen. Serve immediately.