Chicken Pasta Carbonara

Bacon, pasta and peas. What more could a girl want? Oh, yes, a cream sauce that's not going to add an inch to my hips. I'm so there. FYI, originally Hungry Girl had this with Tofu Shirataki noodles, which I can't really get near me, so I substituted whole wheat pasta for a slightly higher point total. BTW, this tastes pretty good when you cook it, but even better reheated. I did find that it definitely needed the "optional" salt and pepper in the recipe, though.

• 10 oz whole wheat fettucine or penne
• 4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
• 1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
• 4 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
• 12 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
• 2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 cup frozen no-salt-added peas
• 8 tbsp. real crumbled bacon (like the kind by Oscar Mayer)
• Optional: salt and black pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Break cheese wedge into pieces, and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke for about 15 seconds, and stir until smooth. Add egg substitute, Parm topping, and 8 tbsp. water, and whisk until mixed and almost smooth. Set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet, and cook until mushrooms are browned and chicken is mostly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add peas, and cook until thawed and hot.Add noodles and bacon to the skillet, and toss until mixed and hot. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Add cheese-egg mixture and immediately toss with other ingredients, until everything is coated and sauce has fully thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste, if you like.

Yield: 4 servings

7 points each