How many times have you gotten home and went “ugh!! Everything takes too long to cook, its just not worth the effort” and then grabbed a bit of take-out or a frozen pizza. It can be challenging to come up with something creative and tasty that doesn’t take a lot of work and is satisfying. Well, I have another pasta dish that will make your work day meal quick and simple.
I absolutely love fresh field or Roma tomatoes, and if you add a little fresh herbs and garlic, you will have a feast for the mouth. Top this with a chicken breast, and you have a meal that will leaving you feeling full and satisfied. Here’s what you will need:
For each portion you will need:
85g dry pasta – I opted for linguine, but use whatever you have on hand
1 large Roma tomato
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1-3 garlic cloves – use as much or as little as you think you will enjoy
fresh thyme or any other herbs you prefer, and if all you have is dry, use that instead
olive oil
1. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Make sure not to forget the salt, as pasta needs salt in the water. It just doesn’t taste right otherwise.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, gather the rest of your ingredients.
3. Cooking a chicken breast properly in a skillet can be a challenge, so I recommend pounding the chicken breast thin. I aim for something about 1cm or 0.5 inches thick. Make sure to use a couple of layers of plastic wrap so you don’t contaminate your whole kitchen with salmonella.
4. Dice your tomatoes and chop your garlic.
5. Once you water has come to boil, add your pasta. This is when I turn on my skillet, as I don’t want things overcooking or pans getting needlessly hot.
6. Sauté your chicken breast. Don’t forget to season with some salt and pepper, and feel free to add any other seasonings you might like. I often add cayenne to give it a little heat.
7. Once the chicken is cooked, add your tomato chunks to the pan. You want to make sure that your pasta is nearly fully cooked so that the tomato doesn’t cook for too long.
8. Remove the chicken breast from the pan, and set aside. Add the garlic and toss with the tomatoes. If you are using dried herbs instead of fresh herbs, this is the time to add them to the pan.
9. Take pasta directly from the pot of water and add to the skillet. A little of the pasta water will help to loosen anything that has stuck to the skillet and give you a better sauce.
10. Add your fresh herbs and toss with the pasta. You can turn the heat off of the pasta at this time.
11. Slice your chicken breast. Plate the pasta and layer the chicken breast on top.
12. Top with some parmesan cheese and enjoy.