Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Here's a great 'all in one dish' dinner. The sauce is made in as little time as it takes to boil pasta. The key to this recipe is the combination of thyme and fresh basil. It gives the entire dish an amazingly fresh taste. I made it for Marie's birthday party, and true to form, I made FAR too much. So I decided to just leave out the pasta altogether and just serve the chicken and veggies as a casserole. It was a huge hit! I'm so thrilled that everyone loved it!
I know you will too!

1 lb. pasta
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
2 carrots, sliced
1 package boneless chicken


Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can broccoli cheese soup
1 soup can of milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
5 or 6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot of salted water, boil pasta until al dente. Steam broccoli and carrots over boiling pasta water until tender. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. In saucepan, over medium heat, saute chicken in a little oil until almost cooked through. Remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic. Add all remaining sauce ingredients. Add chicken back to the pan. Simmer 10 minutes.
Pour sauce over drained pasta and vegetables. Top with additional chopped fresh basil and serve.


Tip:
If sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta water to thin it slightly.
I originally posted this recipe with a large can of chunk chicken instead of the boneless chicken, but then I realized that every time I make it, I use the boneless instead of the canned. I just like it better. You can use either one, though.
Great then.