What's for Dinner: Grape Tomato Pasta

We had this pasta with chicken and tomatoes tonight for dinner and it was so good that I just had to share.

I almost never share recipes, because, well, I'm not much of a chef, but I think I've figured out how to rock this one. I've made this spaghetti three times now - that's the key, the third time's the charm.

A new recipe starts to come together for me after a few attempts because I always have to switch something up. And I'm not any good at measuring so I wing things a bit.

Anyway, here it is: adapted from Skinny Taste.

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 skinless chicken breast halves, diced in 1 inch cubes
cooking spray
1/2 tsp each of dried oregano and dries basil - I just eyeball this because it's much easier
kosher salt and fresh pepper
8 oz spaghetti - I use a mix of whole wheat and Barilla Plus. Also, I have no idea how to measure 8 oz of spaghetti.
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved - We LOVE the Cherubs.
6 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped - I'm not ashamed to admit that I use the garlic in a jar.
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Boil water for your pasta.

Cut chicken into bite sizes, season it generously with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, spray with oil and add chicken. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside.



(The more basil the better. Also, it took me three times to figure out you need quite a bit of cooking spray to keep the chicken from getting too dry.)

While pasta cooks, add olive oil to your skillet on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté about 4-5 minutes.



When pasta is drained, add pasta to tomatoes and toss well.

Add the chicken back to the pan, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and toss.



Top with fresh basil and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

My family loves this and it will be in frequent rotation at our house this summer.