Monday, July 06, 2015

Chicken Pasta Caprese

Today I'm sharing the second recipe I've made from my Skinnytaste cookbook. I think this one might be one of my favorite pasta dishes. The husband and the kids enjoyed it, too. It makes plenty, so count on left overs or invite friends to join you for a light, summer meal.


Ingredients:

2-3 large chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon of basil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Cooking spray or oil mister
9 ounces of pasta
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves
2 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into squares

Season the chicken with the basil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. I like basil and put in a little more than was called for. Spray a large skillet with oil.


Heat to high and add the seasoned chicken. Cook about 3 minutes on each side. Once the chicken is ready, put it on a plate and set aside for a little later.


Time to cook the pasta. The box I used was 12 ounces, so I left out a small amount trying to get it to the 9 ounces the recipe calls for. Cook according to the directions on the box (al dente). Drain, but save about 1/2-1 cup of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, half your tomatoes.



Now add the olive oil and the garlic to the skillet. Cooking and stirring until golden brown, only about 1 minute. It can burn quickly.


Add the tomatoes, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste. Turn the heat to medium-low, cooking and stirring until the tomatoes become tender - 5 to 6 minutes. I could have stopped right here and just eaten the tomatoes!


Add the pasta to the tomatoes. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the left over pasta water (you will want to do this). Finally, add the chicken and mix.


Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cheese and fresh basil (I left the basil out).  And you're all set to serve!


The finished product...


For a 1 3/4 cup serving it has about 400 calories. Not bad... I hope you like it as much as we did! I'm enjoying the cookbook. If you're interested, you can order it here from Amazon.

Happy cooking...

Kathryn

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