Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

I saw this recipe on Kraftfoods.com and I thought I would give it a try - but I made one change…

I saw this recipe on Kraftfoods.com and I thought I would give it a try - but I made one change…
The recipe calls for a jar of spaghetti sauce, but I substituted a can of crushed tomatoes instead.
I don't like to use jarred spaghetti sauce because they usually have high fructose corn syrup and taste too sweet to me.
Well, this recipe was a cinch to make and it tastes great! I was a little leery about the cream cheese, but it added a nice creaminess to the dish, but not overpowering at all. We all enjoyed it and I would definitely make this one again.

What You Need
From the Store:
(Prices sourced from ShopRite.com)
1-1/2 cups multigrain penne pasta, uncooked $1.10
1 package (9 oz) Fresh spinach leaves $3.99
1 lb Boneless skinless chicken breasts; cut into bite-size pieces $2.49
1 Can (14-1/2 oz) crushed tomatoes with basil $0.95
1 Can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, drained $0.60
2 oz (1/4 of 8-oz package) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed $0.33
1 Cup Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided $0.94
Total $10.40
From Your Pantry:
1 Teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

What to Do
Heat your oven to 375ºF.
Cook the pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water for the last 1 minute.
Cook and stir the chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the chicken is done.
Stir in the Neufchatel cheese.
Drain the pasta mixture; return to pan.
Stir in the chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Spoon into 2-quart or 8 inch square baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and the 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
Bake for 3 minutes until the cheese melts.