baked penne with chicken and sun-dried tomato... 1 hour

the goods:

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 and 1/2 cups shredded provolone
1 cup finely grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes.



In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta.



While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In the now empty pot that the pasta was cooked in, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently.



Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute.



Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup parmesan. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.



Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup parmesan.



Bake one, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.



With the second baking dish, run it over to a friends house as an act of service, OR cover with foil and freeze. Be sure that on the foil you write what it is, and the following instructions on how to bake from frozen:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and bake (covered) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.