chicken pasta caprese

Chicken Pasta Caprese

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp dried basil
sea salt
black pepper
cooking spray or oil mister
9 ounces pasta
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
4 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season chicken with dried basil, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Spray the skillet with oil and add chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through, stir often. Move chicken to a plate.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. With the skillet on high, add the olive oil and garlic and cook until golden, stirring often. Be careful not to burn the garlic. About 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1/8 tsp salt, pepper to taste and reduce to medium. Cook, stirring often until tomatoes become tender. About 5 minutes.
4. Add the pasta to the tomatoes. If dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Add the chicken and mix well. Remove pan from the heat, stir in fresh basil and cheese.



Original Recipe by Gina Homolka, The Skinnytaste Cookbook