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Light Creamy Chicken Penne

Whole wheat penne is paired with tender cubed chicken and sliced mushrooms in a creamy mushroom sauce, with garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes adding gentle warmth. It makes a comforting, balanced weeknight dinner when you want a hearty pasta dish with plenty of chicken and earthy mushroom flavor.

  • Prep10 mins
  • Cook20 mins
  • Serves4
  • DifficultyEasy
Light Creamy Chicken Penne

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Light Creamy Chicken Penne, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

52 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
56 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
14 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
90 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

47
Heart Health
74
Metabolic
56
Digestive
39
Inflammatory
61
Performance
56
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.

  2. 2

    Cook and stir olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over high heat just until brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and mushrooms; stir to coat with garlic and olive oil. Cook chicken until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cream of mushroom soup; gradually add water, about a tablespoon at a time, adding enough to make the sauce light and creamy.

  3. 3

    Reduce heat to medium-low and gently fold pasta into the chicken and sauce until coated. Add garlic salt and red pepper to taste; remove from heat and serve.

About This Recipe

Light Creamy Chicken Penne is made with 11 ingredients and serves 4. It takes about 30 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Chicken Breast, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Garlic, and Garlic Salt. Each serving provides about 479.56 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Light Creamy Chicken Penne made of?
The main ingredients are Chicken Breast, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Garlic, Garlic Salt, Minced Garlic. The full list of 11 is above.
How long does it take to make Light Creamy Chicken Penne?
About 30 mins in total: 10 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 479.56 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Light Creamy Chicken Penne easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 11 ingredients and 3 steps.
Is Light Creamy Chicken Penne healthy?
Light Creamy Chicken Penne has an easyChef Pro health score of 52/100. Per serving, it provides 479.56 calories and 35.48 g of protein, or 71% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber and iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 579.53 mg (25% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 1.53 g (8% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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