Chicken Parm Pasta Toss

One of my favorites from Rachael Ray. It's so easy too! Just make sure you have your chicken cut up before you start. I sometimes half or quarter the recipe if I'm the only one eating it and depending on how much of leftovers you'd like to have. I usually leave out the arugula though (and that's because I can't ever find it at my grocery store.)

INGREDIENTS

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1 large red onion, chopped

2 pints grape tomatoes

2 cups fresh basil, chopped

3 cups arugula or baby arugula, roughly chopped

1 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Serves 4

PREPARATION

Fill a large pasta pot with water and place it over high heat. Once the water comes up to a boil, salt it and drop in the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve a mugful of starchy cooking water, then drain and reserve.

While the water is coming up to a boil, place a large skillet over high heat with three turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Season the chicken pieces with the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, then add it to the pre-heated skillet. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

Once the chicken is golden brown, add the garlic and onion to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cover the pan with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst open and begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes (if they haven’t started to burst open by that time, mash them lightly with a potato masher or wooden spoon). Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Add the drained pasta and reserved starchy cooking water (about 1 cup) to the skillet with the chicken and tomatoes, and toss over the heat until combined, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil, arugula and cheese. Serve.