Penne Pasta with Rotisserie Chicken

Recently (finally) Costco opened a new store close to us.  This meant that all those lovely things that I wanted to buy at Costco, were finally in my reach!  Most important of all those things were the lovely, gigantic, $4.99 rotisserie chickens.  The first couple of times that I went to Costco I left the store with at least 2 chickens (one time I left with 5).  I've since calmed down and sometimes I don't even get a chicken!

Since I've had all this chicken coming into my home I have come up with some quick dinner recipes including said chicken.  This is a fast, simple pasta dish which is light on sauce and can be adjusted to your taste.  In my home I can use all the quick recipes I can get.  I like the little tang that the balsamic carries but if you and your family aren't fans you could leave it out, or if by chance you are a huge fan of balsamic you could add more and kick the flavor up a notch!  Like I said, this recipe can be adjusted to your taste and your needs.  

Penne Pasta with Rotisserie Chicken

1 16oz box penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thin
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 red bell peppers, cleaned and chopped
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
2 cups cubed/shredded rotisserie chicken
2 Tablespoons balsamic or white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season (I always season with 1-2 tablespoons salt) and add pasta. Cook to al dente.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Add the onions and carrots, cook for 2 minutes and add the tomatoes.  Once the tomatoes are soft enough to burst, about 2-3 minutes, crush the tomatoes with the spoon.  Add the chicken, peppers, balsamic and chicken stock.  Cook for 3-5 minutes until the peppers are tender but still crisp.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the penne pasta.  The pasta is best topped with crumbled feta cheese.