For those of you who want a quick but tasty dinnertime meal, here's a "copy cat" recipe I created based on Pasta Pomodoro's "Gemelli", an Italian dish rich in smoky meats and creamy sauce. This was my husbands and my favorite dish -- but unfortunately was discontinued by the restaurant several years ago. After many months of testing and tasting, this is without a doubt as close to the original recipe (taste wise) as is possible. It is, to this day, a family favorite and has been passed on to several friends as well. Enjoy!

Chicken and Ham Gemelli

Creamy pasta with smoked ham, chicken, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes.

Prep Time	10 minutes
Cooking Time	20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pkg of Gemelli pasta (or Rotini) Two whole chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes 2 Tbs. Vegetable Oil 1/2 c. diced smoked ham 4 medium white mushrooms, sliced 1 small jar sun dried tomatoes, drained 3 c. heavy whipping cream 2 pkg. Good Seasons ZESTY Italian salad dressing mix 2 tsp. Corn Starch 1/8 c. water
Method
Boil pasta per package directions (don't overcook - remember, al dente is best!) Cook chicken pieces in oil over medium heat until lightly browned and almost thoroughly cooked through. Add diced smoked ham, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are softened and chicken is fully cooked. Stir in salad dressing mix and cream until well incorporated. Meanwhile, add water to cornstarch and mix well. Add cornstarch mixture to meat/cream sauce and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Drain pasta and add to chicken/ham/sun dried tomato cream sauce. Mix well and serve.