Place beans and 1/4 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and pierce plastic wrap with a fork. Microwave at HIGH 4 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Plunge green beans into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain well, and set aside.

Cook chopped bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in a small bowl. Discard remaining drippings. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.

Sauté green onions in skillet in hot reserved drippings over medium-high heat 1 minute. Stir in green beans, salt, and pepper; sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in bacon.

Kitchen Express: Substitute 2 (12-ounce) packages ready-to-eat trimmed fresh green beans for the fresh green beans, omitting water. Pierce bags with a fork and microwave at HIGH 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add shallots, mushrooms, and garlic to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes. Stir in wine, olives, tomatoes, and broth; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Return chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add pasta, cheese, and pepper, tossing to combine.

1. Keep basic chicken scaloppine warm in a 200° oven.

2. Add olive oil, mushrooms, shallots, and thyme to hot pan used to cook chicken (don't wash) and stir often over high heat until mushrooms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon over chicken.

3. Add sherry, chicken broth, and cream to pan; stir until mixture is boiling. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduced, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper to taste.