Tricolor Penne Food

TRICOLOR PENNE

Steps:

• Heat covered 6-quart pot of water to boiling on high. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Cut tomatoes in half and cut chicken into 1/2-inch chunks.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high until hot. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken to skillet in single layer; cook 4 minutes or until golden on both sides, stirring once halfway through. With slotted spoon, transfer to plate.
• To same skillet, add tomatoes and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, scraping up browned bits; stir chicken and any juices on plate into skillet and remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling water in pot. Cook as label directs, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot, along with tomato mixture.
• In blender, puree arugula, Parmesan, garlic, reserved pasta cooking water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until smooth. To pot, add arugula mixture, stirring until well combined.
• To serve, sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan, if you like.

PENNE TRICOLORE

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne rigate until almost done, about 11 minutes. Add the zucchini, summer squash, and carrots and bring back to a boil. Cook until the vegetables and penne are just done, about 2 minutes longer. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the penne and vegetables.
• In a large bowl, toss the pasta, vegetables, 6 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, olives, basil, Parmesan, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.
• Seeding Zucchini and Summer Squash:.
• Because the zucchini and summer squash are boiled in this recipe, it's a good idea to seed them first. Otherwise, the pulpy seeds get water-logged. To remove them, cut the zucchini or squash into quarters lengthwise. Then simply cut off the seeds.

TRICOLORE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, oil and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• For the salad: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, about 9 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly until just warm to the touch, about 5 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the dressing and toss well to coat. Allow to cool to room temperature in the dressing, tossing occasionally. Add the arugula, basil, tomatoes, peppers, cheese and salt and toss well to combine and coat everything in the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.