Vegetable Ribbon Pasta

Confession: I posted this on my personal cooking blog forever ago. Life with two kids = I have a hard time cooking and then taking a picture. Or cooking anything worth blogging about. So here's something to get us through the break between posts :)

Vegetable Ribbon Pasta (adapted from Great Taste, Low Fat)

2 small zucchini

2 small yellow summer squash

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow or sweet onion, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)

1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (i just did two green bell peppers)

1/2 pound baby portabello mushrooms

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup bottled Italian dressing

1/2 cup chicken broth (reduced-sodium is a good idea)

8 oz fettuccine

2 oz Neufchatel cheese (reduced fat cream cheese), cut into small pieces

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp black pepper

salt to taste

Place the chicken breasts and Italian dressing in a plastic ziploc bag and put in refrigerator for about two hours to marinate. When ready to start cooking, saute mushrooms in a large, deep skillet in 1 tbsp olive oil until softened and browned. Set aside. Remove the chicken breasts from the bag and slice into 1/2 inch thick strips. Cook in the same skillet until done through. Set aside. With a vegetable peeler, cut the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise into ribbons. Set aside. In the skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in peppers and broth and cook until peppers are softened, about 6 minutes more. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until just tender (al dente). Drain well. Add the zucchini and yellow squash to the skillet and cook until the squash are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese, milk, Parmesan, and black pepper and cook until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes longer. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Serve hot.

Enjoy! It's delicious.