Cream cheese and chive pasta - Mmm Mmm good!

My in-laws are terrific cooks. I am constantly asking for the recipes of meals they serve me because they are just THAT good. For dinner tonight I made my father in-law's cream cheese and chive pasta. It has such incredible flavor and it definitely fills you up.

Cream cheese and chive pasta
16 oz whole wheat pasta (I used half organic whole wheat spiral and half organic wheat semolina penne)
8 oz organic cream cheese, cubed in small pieces
1/3 c. olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. organic Italian parsley, chopped
1 pkg (19g) organic chives, finely chopped

1/2 c. white wine (I used a Sauvignon blanc)

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

2 T. salt

Pepper to taste

First, boil a large pot of water. Add in the salt so the water has the saltiness of the ocean. This is your one opportunity to get some flavor directly into the noodles. When the water boils, add the noodles and cook al dente according to package instructions.

Drain noodles and set aside.

In the large pot, add olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles back in to the pot. Add in cream cheese, white wine and pepper. Mix together until cream cheese is melted and evenly coats the noodles.

Add parsley, chives, and Parmesan cheese. You can save some of the Parmesan cheese and use it to top each personal bowl of pasta if you'd like, along with a sprig of parsley.

And dinner is served.

I made a quick salad to go with dinner with some random items we had available in the pantry - croutons, cherry tomatoes, dried cherries, poppyseed dressing and honey mustard dressing. Nothing special, but I needed some greens for nutrition!