adapted from Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom
Every once in a while, I see a recipe that looks good but as I make it, I seriously doubt that it will have any flavor. Then, we taste it and it is a little slice of goodness. THAT is this recipe. Seriously, the chicken is perfectly flavored and the "sauce" is just butter, basil, tomatoes and salt and pepper. This is now a family favorite and will frequent our table often. I told my husband that I would like to grow some basil and tomatoes this summer for the sole purpose of making this dish "fresh from the garden". For the sake of my husband, I used vegan butter instead of real butter and did not add the cheese "garnish" to his plate.
This Tomato Basil Chicken will have you grabbing your fork at the 30
minute mark, which is great news when you need to have a nice, hot meal
on the table quickly.
Ingredients: (4 servings)
- 2 chicken breasts
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
- 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
- 4 Tbsp cold butter
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese, for garnish
Written Directions:
Season chicken breasts with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add
a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to your skillet.
This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce.
While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta. When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts. After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife. If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.
While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta. When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts. After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn. You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes,or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife. If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.
After
the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add
in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up. Next, add the fresh
basil that you have chopped into ribbons, the cold butter, the minced
garlic, and you will probably want to add some more kosher salt and
black pepper to season the sauce. Now
give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.
When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now. At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce. Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.
When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now. At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias. Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce. Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.
