Cheesy Penne with Broccoli and Herbed Breadsticks!

once again, sorry for the no post last week...my family and i got home from florida the beginning of last week so i didn't cook until the weekend and i haven't gotten a chance to blog until now! so, here we go! i made cheesy penne with broccoli and herbed breadsticks. both of these recipes i got from Cooking Light, and both were easy and fast! i had almost all the ingredients for them at home except for the broccoli. the meal only took twenty minutes total to make and it was delicious. i'd say it was a win-win situation. if you're ever in a rush, or even not in a rush, try this!

Recipes:

Herbed Breadsticks
TIME: 15 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
4 oz. of leftover Pizza or Bread dough [i used half of this recipe]
1 Tbps. chopped Oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped Thyme
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
[1] Pre-heat oven to 425.
[2] Roll out dough in an 8 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle herbs over it. Fold dough over twice; knead 4 times.
[3] Roll into an 8 x 4-inch rectangle once again. Cut into 4 (4 x 2-inch) rectangles; twist.
[4] Arrange on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake for 10 minutes.
[5] Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.


Cheesy Penne with Broccoli
TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked mini penne pasta
5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)
Directions:
[1] Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to pan; drain. Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
[2] Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add cheese mixture to pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.