A healthy meal should always be balanced with lean protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. I have found that the easiest way to provide this combination is in a pasta dish. While I love all of my tried-and-true pasta recipes, I was in the mood to experiment. I knew that there was a possibility that the results could turn out against my expectations and I would be eating a frozen meal for dinner, but I felt pretty optimistic about this creation. I feel that is pretty common to eat an appetizer as a meal, especially at a restaurant. I have done this plenty of times as restaurant portions are outrageous in size. An appetizer that is available at many restaurants is spinach artichoke dip. I tend to stay away from it at restaurants because it often contains more calories than a meal. But at home, I would definitely eat my spinach artichoke dip for dinner. Based on my recipe, I decided to create a spinach artichoke pasta dish. It would have been just as good as a vegetarian dish without chicken, but I was cooking for more than just myself and my taste-testers requested chicken. Thankfully, the dish turned out fabulous. Everybody loved the fact that it was reminiscent of the dip and I was completely satisfied with my new dish and the nutrition facts that go along with it.

1. Cook pasta until al dente (about 10 minutes). Drain.
2. Grill chicken until done. Cover to keep warm until sauce is ready.
3. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute garlic for about 1-2 minutes.
4. Add cream cheese, greek yogurt, and chicken broth. Stir until combined and reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Add the milk and parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
6. Add hot sauce, spinach, artichokes, salt/pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine.
7. Cut grilled chicken into bite-sized pieces.
8. Add chicken and pasta to sauce and toss to coat.