Cream Cheese and Chicken Orzo With Tomatoes

Ingredients:

250g orzo pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 chicken breasts cut into small chunks

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

3 tomatoes, diced

1 tub of cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Light)

3/4 cup of reserved pasta water

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the orzo and let it cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside (reserving 3/4 cup of water from the pasta)
2. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil, then add the chicken chinks and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, then flip and cook on the other side. Cook for about 5 more minutes.
3. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic and tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the tomatoes are no longer juicy. Add the cream cheese and stir to coat the other ingredients.
4. Stir in the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes until thickened, then stir in the orzo, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Add more salt and pepper if desired, and serve immediately with mixed green salad.

Serves 3.

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