Pantry Pick of the Month: Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce/ Chicken Mozzarella Pasta

There are probably 101 things I could make with this month's pantry pick. I was delighted when I reached in and pulled out one of my favorite products- Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce.   I chose to try a Pioneer Woman's recipe for Chicken Mozzarella Pasta, and was I ever glad.  It was just delicious and I will be making this again and again.  It was very easy and very fast, too.  The Pioneer Woman says it takes 16 minutes.  I think it took a bit longer for me because it took so long to get the pot of water to boil.  But, still it was really fast.

My poor husband never gets to eat until I take a picture!  He's pretty patient with me.

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta
1 pound pasta, penne or rigatoni or whatever you have (some of the reviewers said it was delicious with whole wheat pasta)
Olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons in pan, and more for drizzling over the pasta after it's cooked
2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
Salt and Pepper
2- 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 large onion, diced
1 Jar Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce (or any other Marinara sauce)
1/4 teaspoon- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
Handful of chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, diced (you can buy this at Costco)
Grated Parmesan cheese
About 12 basil leaves, chiffonade

Cook the pasta to al dente in very salty water.  While it's cooking, make the sauce:
Put the olive oil in a large sided skillet or a Le Cruset' pan and heat on medium high heat.  Salt and pepper the chopped chicken breasts  and mix with your hands.  Add to the hot oil.  Cook for two or three minutes, stirring and browning the chicken.  Remove the chicken (put on a plate) and add the onion and garlic to the oil.  Saute on med-high heat until the onions are soft and translucent and golden and smelling SO good.

Reduce the heat and add the jar of sauce, red pepper flakes to taste and a big ladle or two full of the pasta water.  Stir and cook for a minute, then add the chicken chunks and the parsley.  Simmer for about 7 minutes.  The sauce should be bubbly and hot. Turn off the heat.  Add the cheese chunks and gently stir.  Then just let the sauce sit for 2-3 minutes while you drain and prepare the cooked pasta.

Put the drained pasta in a large bowl.  Drizzle some olive oil in and mix it in.  Then sprinkle on a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.  Then pour the sauce over the pasta.  Sprinkle on a little more
of the Parmesan and the basil.  Serve.   So, so yummy.  The fresh Mozzarella softens and melts and it's just so good.  This makes a BIG bowl of pasta.