Baked Penne with Sun Dried Tomatoes

It's pasta time again!  Need I say more?  You all know how I feel about Italian food and pasta in general...So when I saw this recipe...I just had to share...

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoon(s) butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt

Ground pepper

1 pound(s) penne rigate

1 teaspoon(s) olive oil

2 (8 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, halved horizontally

1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

4 clove(s) garlic, minced

6 cup(s) whole milk

10 ounce(s) white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup(s) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup(s) (6 ounces) shredded provolone

1 cup(s) (4 ounces) finely grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 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 cup Parmesan.

5.Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

6.To make ahead, prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, 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.

Enjoy!  Eat Well My friends!