I shared with you guys last week that I was embarking on the #EatFreshChallenge as part of a sponsored campaign with Cooking Planit Eat Fresh Challenge with Colavita. After using the Cooking Planit Meal Planning app for an entire week, I have a more thorough understanding of the app and the Cooking Planit program in general…and a great new Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe to share with you guys!
If you haven’t tried meal planning before, then you’re probably a lot like me. I have always liked the idea of meal planning but I didn’t like the searching for recipe ideas, being stuck having to cook something when I wasn’t in the mood, trying to find things that the entire family would enjoy…but after a while, scrambling to come up with dinner after a long day gets old. Real old.
While my first week of meal planning wasn’t exactly perfect, it was much better than my usual “What’s for dinner?” routine! I actually planned out my menu for the week using the Cooking Planit app while I was getting a pedicure on Sunday. The Cooking Planit meal planning app has so many features to help you plan your menu, browse for recipe ideas, creating grocery lists – I tell you, it’s a game changer! You can also use the Cooking Planit website.
Oh, but about that Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe? Yeah, it was delicious!
This recipe is a slightly changed version of the Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup recipe in the Cooking Planit recipe database. Angeline isn’t a fan of soup, so I just tweaked the soup recipe a bit by adding more pasta so that it became pasta with a heavy cream sauce. I loved the combination of pasta, chicken and veggies – I also increased the veggie content to make it a more balanced meal, as we weren’t eating with the side recommended in the meal planner.
Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe

Cooking Planit Meal Planning App - Creamy Chicken Pasta Recipe #EatFreshChallenge
Ingredients
- Carrots — 1 Cup
- Celery — 3⁄4 Cup
- Fresh Parsley — 2 Tablespoons
- Fresh Thyme — 4 Sprigs
- Garlic — 2 Cloves
- Onions — 1⁄2 Cup
- Chicken Tenders Boneless — 6 Ounces
- Butter Unsalted — 2 Tablespoons
- Heavy Cream — 2 Cups
- Tagliatelle Pasta — 3 Cups
- Chicken Stock Low Sodium — 2 1/2 Cups
- Frozen Peas — 1 Cup
- Black Pepper and salt to taste
- Dried Bay Leaves — 2
- Dried Sage — 1⁄2 Teaspoon
- Flour — 2 Tablespoons
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil — 2 Tablespoons
- Dry White Wine — 1 Cup
Instructions
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Cut an onion into 1/4 inch dice to measure the indicated amount.
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Peel carrots and cut into 1/4 inch pieces to measure the indicated amount. Add to the onions.
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Cut celery into 1/4 inch dice to measure the indicated amount. Add to carrots and onions.
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Smash the garlic under the side of your chef's knife to remove the peel. Mince the garlic, then add to celery, carrots and onions.
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Trim parsley leaves from the stems and finely chop to measure the indicated amount.
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Cut chicken into 1/2 inch diced pieces, then season with salt and pepper.
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Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and warm.
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Once oil is warm, add the chicken. Oil should sizzle when you add the chicken. Sear until golden brown and nicely caramelized, stirring as it cooks to brown evenly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate. Save the pot.
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Place the chicken pot back over medium heat. There should be enough oil to cover bottom of pot. If not, add more olive oil and warm.
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Once oil is warm, add garlic, onions, carrots, celery and dried sage. Crush the sage between your fingertips as you add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent. Stir often.
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Once onions are translucent, add butter and let melt. Then, add flour and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
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Pour in white wine and use a spoon to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot. Add thyme sprigs, dried bay leaves, heavy cream and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
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Place chicken back into the pot along with pasta. Bring back to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until pasta noodles are tender and chicken is cooked through, about [15-20 minutes]. Continue to stir often.
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Once pasta noodles are tender and chicken is cooked through, remove thyme sprigs and dried bay leaves. Check final seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Stir in parsley and peas. Place back over medium heat and simmer for another 3-5 minutes until peas are cooked through.
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Ladle creamy chicken pasta into bowls and serve warm!
Get the Cooking Planit App!
There is a free version of the Cooking Planit app with limited content and functionality. In honor of the #EatFreshChallenge, Cooking Planit has reduced the price of the iPhone app to $1.99 (regularly $2.99), the iPad app to $2.99 (regularly $4.99) and the Android universal app to $1.99 (regularly $2.99) for the duration of the Colavita Challenge. Take advantage of this promotion while it lasts! You can download the iOS App here and the Android app here.
My meal plan for this week is full of easy food – re: KID-FRIENDLY food that Angeline will enjoy! One of the most difficult things about cooking in our house is that Angeline is a really picky eater. You’ll notice that I don’t select a lot of gourmet, fine dining fare; if I did, she’d likely not eat it. We both really liked the Roasted Chicken Drumsticks I made last week, so I am sticking to simple recipes to keep the “Wow, mom, this is good” momentum going!
OUR MEAL PLAN FOR THIS WEEK
Monday: Bacon, Tomato and Three Cheese Pasta
Tuesday: It was Angeline’s Birthday and she had a date at the Olive Garden. Sigh. I ate leftover pasta from Monday and deeply regretted my decision to allow her to spend her 17th birthday with her boyfriend instead of me.
Wednesday: Chicken Quesadillas
Thursday: Sloppy Joes and Mac & Cheese
Friday: Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin Spice Marinade
Saturday: Angeline’s birthday party – we’re having it catered and I am taking the night off from cooking!
Sunday: Pork Loin and Brussels Sprouts
We absolutely love Brussels sprouts because there are SO MANY different ways to prepare them! If you’ve never made Brussels sprouts before, this How to Prepare Brussels Sprouts YouTube video will help!
Do you remember the awesome Colavita pantry essentials basket I showed you last week?
I am having so much fun experimenting with the different ingredients while menu planning, but the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my favorite! I use olive oil in so many dishes – everything from Brussels sprouts to the chicken drumsticks to sauteing the veggies for our Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe!
If you’d like to try these cool Colavita products too, you can receive a 20% discount on your Colavita purchase by using the promo code EatFresh20 at checkout – you’ll also get free shipping on all orders over $99! You can check out their products here.
Do you want to win your very own Colavita pantry essentials gift basket? Enter to win below!
I would love if you guys would join me in this Eat Fresh Challenge by signing up for a Cooking Planit account!
You can also check out what my fellow #EatFreshChallenge participants are up to – we’re all in the challenge together!
This sounds like a great app. All the meals you had for the week sound really good. The creamy chicken pasta looks fantastic.
Thank you! It was a little time consuming to cook but it was SO worth it!
Creamy + chicken? I’m there. Wonderful photos! It looks so appetizing.
That creamy chicken pasta looks delicious! My mouth is watering now!
I would love to try the polenta.
Wow, that looks so wonderfully yummy! I have to make it now!
Wow that creamy chicken pasta looks incredible. What a really cool tool, so helpful too…. Maybe another dish to add to my recipes!
These dishes look so delicious! I would love to try them! Thank you for the recipe!
Ooooh, that looks so good! I will definitely have to try the recipe and would love this basket of goodies!
I really need to get more organized and make a weekly meal plan. I hate rushing last minute to try and figure out what to make. Your creamy chicken does sound really yummy!
I really need to have a weekly meal plan. I’m excited about the red wine vinegar
The app sounds like it would be really nice. I have a Windows phone – I will check if they make a app for Windows.
Mmmm – yum! A mean plan is SO helpful. I’m like you — EVOO all the way!
Looks amazing. We love chicken and pasta and what a great giveaway.
What an awesome app! I’ll take some of that creamy chicken please!
I really wish I had a plate of your food sitting in front of me for lunch right now. I need to make this for dinner one night soon.
Wow, the colors in the pasta are beautiful too! I’d love to eat at your house 🙂
That was smart to just add more pasta for the non-soup lover in the house. 😉 I am most excited to try the Colavita Olive Oil.
I can’t wait to try the balsamic raspberry – it combines two of my favorite flavors. But really? I can’t wait to get my hands on a lot of the things in that basket.
The pasta and the chicken leg dishes both look pretty amazing. I might have to look at this app. It looks like it could be useful for those days when I need a little help and inspiration.
I’d say either the olive oil or the balsamic vinegar
That chicken pasta looks delicious! You can never go wrong with chicken!
This looks like a handy dandy app useful for every busy family. The pasta looks good too 🙂
ohmygosh…..this is torture! It looks so good!!! I’ve given up carbs but this may make me break my streak!
The Balsamic Glaze with Raspberries.
Thanks for sharing the Eat Fresh Challenge. I”ll go sign up for Cooking Planit as I have never heard of it. The giveaway looks great, too!
This looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
That creamy chicken looks amazing. And all the wine I love wine and a great pasta dish.. If you just learned that dish you did great.
This sounds like a great app. I love to cook and that creamy chicken looks fantastic!
Balsamic glaze with raspberries
Colavita Olive Oil is my choice,as I cook with olive oil all the time!
I’m on a cleanse right now so that pasta looks amazing. I could just taste it.
The Balsamic Glaze Raspberry sounds really tasty.
I want to try the 100% organic olive oil the most.
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE RED WINE VINEGAR
I excited to try the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I don’t know where to start!It all looks good! Nice app..I signed up and said you referred me 🙂
I am excited to try the polenta as I have never had that.
I want to try the polenta. I have never tried polenta before and would like to see if my family likes it!
I would love to try the polenta.
I cook everything in olive oil so definitely the EVOO!
Whoa! What a NICE PRIZE. I think Italian style is my favorite food. I would be most excited for their Olive Oil. Boy, do I use and love olive oil. Sometimes, I get a craving for some good warm bread in olive oil. I also would be excited for the polenta.. Ihave new recipe right now I want to try and it needs polenta!
I would love to try the polenta. I especially love fried polenta, and I bet it would be really good with same balsamic vinegar on top!
I would love to try to Balsamic Glaze Raspberry.
I would love to try the Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin Spice Marinade.
I would love to try the balsamic raspberry especially, but I love using oils and vinegars in my cooking so they would all be put to yummy use!
I am most excited to try the red wine vinegar ion my next salad.
I would like to try the polenta.
I have not tried polenta. I’d be excited to try it.
I’d like to try the Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
I’d love to try the sun dried tomato pesto.
I most excited to try the Colavita Private Selection Fruttato EVOO.
Hmm, the polenta or the balsamic vinegar.
The Colavita Olive Oil looks amazing! I love cooking with olive oil and I’ve been wanting to try this brand! Thanks for an awesome giveaway! 🙂
I’m most curious to try the Cirio brand tomatoes. I just saw them yesterday for the 1st time at Harris Teeter, kicking myself for not picking up a box.
I want to try the Extra Virgin Olive Oil the most. And thanks for the great recipe!
I’d love to try the Gnocchi with Potato!
I love polenta!!!
I am most excited to try the Colavita Olive Oil
I’m excited about trying the Extra virgin olive oil. I love trying a variety of good oils.
I’m excited to try the aged red wine vinegar and the raspberry balsamic. I love to cook with similar items, but haven’t tried these.
I’d be excited to create meals with all of these! I would be particularly excited to try the Raspberry Balsamic glaze,because I have never tried anything quite like it.
I would really like to try the red wine vinegar..
The Balasmic Glaze (Raspberry) is pretty intriguing
Actually I want to try the olive oil. I’ve read recently that many evoo’s on the market aren’t really evoo at all.
It all looks good but I would love to try the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
i like all of it! 😉
I’d be excited to try the Colavita Raspberry Balsamic Glace. I think it would be good with every food group!
I would like to try the Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I want to try the red wine vinegar
Leave a comment telling me which product you’re most excited to try!
ill go for some roasted chicken,..thanks
I’m most excited to try the red wine vinegar!
Would love to try the Extra Virgin Olive Oil!!~
I would like the Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Your meal plan for the week sounds awesome. Everything sounds so delicious! I’d like to try the chicken with pumpkin spice marinade – yum!
I love Balsamic vinegar and am excited to learn new ways to use it.
I would like to try the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil!
this looks so amazing!
Ohh I would love to try the balsamic raspberry! That sounds so good! Yum!
I’d like to try the lasagna noodles.
Pasta is one of my all-time favorites!
I am most excited to try the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I am most excited to try the Colvita Raspberry Balsamic Glaze.
I’d like to try the balsamic vinegar. What an awesome giveaway. Seriously.
i want to try the polenta
I would like to try the Raspberry Balsamic Glaze
I want to make Emily’s pesto lasagna!
The Aged Red Wine Vinegar would be my favorite as I love to use it in a salad.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
Oh your meal plan for the week would go over so well in our home. Even though we’re all adults, we still prefer to eat like kids when it comes to our taste palates 😉
This looks really good! I even love those brightly colored plates! What fun!
I like their olive oil.
I’d like to try the extra virgin olive oil.
The red wine vinegar!
I’d love to try the Colavita Olive Oil .
I want to try the evo. I am an olive oil freak. always on the look out for the best.
The Sloppy Joes and Mac & Cheese sounds fantastic!
I would like the balsamic glaze with raspberries.
I;d like to try the Olive Oil.
i am ecited about the red wine vinegar
i really want to try the olive oil!
The amazing olive oil!
kale and carrot wantons sound yummy
I’m most excited to try the raspberry balsamic vinegar. I think it would be really good on roasted carrots.
Top Your Pizza would be my favorite,thanks
I would love to try the Colavita Olive Oil.
most excited to try the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I love Colavita products and am most excited to try the Raspberry Balsamic Glaze as it’s one of the things I’ve not yet tried.
I would love to try the raspberry glaze. That sounds fantastic!
I am most excited to try the Balsamic Raspberry Glaze
The balsamic raspberry glaze. I love balsamic and imagine this is wonderful.
The polenta for me
I’d like to try the Balsamic Glaze – Raspberry. That should be good. I’ve had regular balsamic vinegar but nothing with a raspberry flavoring.
I am eager to try the wine vinegar…
I don’t do a lot of “from scratch” cooking. I would like to try a fancy Italian pasta dinner for my family.
I want to try the different vinegars.
Colavita Olive Oil
I want to try that extra virgin olive oil!
I am most excited to try the olavita Olive Oil. I love cooking with olive oil!
I really want to try the EVOO!!
I can’t wait to try the Red Wine Vinegar!
Thank you so much! I just replied to your email. 🙂
That looks SO good. Definitely will have to try this recipe!