Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried
Tomatoes
6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishesCoarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow
2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3
minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over
medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout,
3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice
crosswise.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt
butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While
whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add
mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone
and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with
salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with
1/4 cup Parmesan.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and
bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
COOK'S NOTE
To Freeze: Prepare through step
4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.To Bake From Frozen: Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.
