Pasta Cubana

I’ve had this one for a while and have just been waiting for the right time to make it.  It seems to be a perfect summer dish.  The recipe calls for chicken breasts, but since we had just had chicken the night before, I used ground turkey.  I think I like it better with the turkey!  The sauce is nice and thick and goes well with the pasta.  Recipe from Family Circle Magazine.

Meal Planning:  This recipe is self contained with vegetables and meat.  I added some Nun’s Puffs (recipe coming) but you can use any bread like Lemon Bread or English Muffin Bread.

Ingredients:

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces OR 1 pound ground turkey

-1/4 tsp salt

-1/8 tsp black pepper

-1.5 cups mild salsa (I use Pace Thick & Chunky)

-1 can (16 oz) black beans, drained

-1.5 tsp ground cumin

-2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced into 1/4” half moons

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped.

-1 pound pasta or your choice

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with slat and pepper.  Add to skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.  If using ground turkey instead, brown turkey over medium heat; drain if necessary.

2.  Stir in the salsa, beans and cumin.  Simmer, covered for 10 minutes.  Add the zucchini and garlic and simmer 5 minutes.

3.  While sauce is simmering, cook pasta following package directions.  Drain and toss with sauce.  Serve immediately.