It's been awhile since I made a pasta dish, and I happened to have leftover Ricotta, so I looked up "pasta dishes with ricotta" and stumbled upon this great tomato basil recipe! Rather than use a sauce, you get all the flavor from the tomato juices and garlic. Plus, it took me less than 30 minutes to make, which is always a major bonus on a weekday!
The dish is filling on it's own but I always like to have a protein with my meals so I ended up making balsamic marinated chicken. I'm definitely getting better at cooking chicken! This time I tried searing it for a few minutes on the stove top then put it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Searing it really helped keep the chicken juicy and tender! I highly recommend trying this method if you are nervous about overcooking (or undercooking) chicken breasts!
- The recipe recommends keeping some of the pasta water, when draining, in case the pasta is too dry once you add it to the tomato mixture. Make sure to keep it! I ended up adding a few tablespoons and it really helped.
Balsamic Chicken
I used a meat tenderizer to thin out the chicken breast. To avoid a huge mess I put the chicken in a ziploc bag and use the flat side of the tenderizer. This way, you can also use the ziploc bag to marinate the chicken, I used Ken's Steakhouse Balsamic with Honey dressing. After letting it marinate for about 30 minutes (it's better to allow for at least 1-2 hours but I was crunched for time) I seared both sides on medium heat for approximately 3-4 minutes each side then placed it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the tomatoes start looking wrinkled you will see the "juices" and can add the cooked pasta
I added a few tablespoons of the pasta water as it was slightly dry once I mixed it with the tomatoes and basil.
I could have eaten the pasta by itself but I can't resist protein!
ENJOY!
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