Q. I had a lovely pasta dish in an Italian restaurant that I would love to duplicate at home (the Recipe Doctor way, of course). It's rigatoni with smoked chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, cream and mushrooms.

A. You had me at "rigatoni with smoked chicken" — add the sun-dried tomatoes, cream and mushrooms, and now I'm completely determined to create this dish for you! I kept the sauce light by using fat-free half-and-half and whole milk. You can use all fat-free half-and-half, but it has a tendency to create a sauce with a slightly off color and texture. Using some whole milk seems to balance it out nicely. I also used skinless chicken breast to keep the protein lean and mean. For the pasta, you can add fiber and nutrients by using pasta with whole wheat in it. (There are a couple of name brands doing this now.) If you insist on the white pasta, at least cook it al dente (this lowers the glycemic index significantly).

The original recipe might have had around 450 calories, 19 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, and 69 mg cholesterol per petite-sized serving, the size used here.

SMOKED CHICKEN RIGATONI

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups sliced crimini or baby portabello mushrooms (cut slices in half)

2-3 teaspoons minced garlic

2/3 cup fat-free half-and-half

2/3 cup whole milk (low-fat milk can also be used)

1 tablespoon Wondra quick-mixing flour (regular flour can also be used)

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups boiled rigatoni noodles (use whole-wheat blend pasta, such as Barilla Plus, if possible)

3 tablespoons bottled julienne sun-dried tomatoes, drained

2 large smoked barbecued and skinless and boneless chicken breast halves (see note), cut into bite-size pieces

Freshly shaved or shredded parmesan cheese

(Note: If you are using a grilled or broiled chicken breast, you can brush the outside of the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of liquid smoke blended with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or a light vinaigrette) during cooking to add that "smoke" flavor.)

Add olive oil to a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until nicely browned (about 3 minutes). While that's cooking, add about 2 tablespoons of the fat-free half-and-half to a 1-cup measure and stir in the flour to make a paste. Pour in the remaining half-and-half and stir to blend.

When the mushrooms are browned, turn the heat down to low and pour the half-and-half mixture into the skillet with the mushrooms and the whole milk. Stir, while continuing to simmer, until the cream sauce is desired thickness (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Turn off heat and toss in the rigatoni noodles, sun-dried tomatoes and chicken pieces. Let mixture rest for a couple of minutes to blend flavors, then spoon onto serving plates and top each serving with a few pieces of sun-dried tomato and a sprinkle of freshly shaved or shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.