tomato basil chicken pasta

This is a simple dish and one of our favorites. It's a regular in our dinner repertoire and we don't seem to ever get tired of it. It's quick to make (about 20 minutes), healthy, tasty, and only takes a few ingredients. What more can you ask for? My recipe is an estimate of the amounts I think I use, so adjust as needed, it's fool-proof.

Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta

3 cups multi-grain/whole wheat penne
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 pound cubed chicken tenders or breasts

olive oil

salt and pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 4 servings

Dice tomatoes into halves and set aside. Loosely chop a generous amount of basil (about a 1/2 cup or so) and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a dash of salt to flavor the pasta water and cook the pasta until it's al dente. While waiting for the pasta to cook cut the chicken into cubes. Spray a skillet with fat-free cooking spray, add the chicken, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and cook until done. Set the chicken aside. When the pasta is done, drain the water and reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Dump the pasta back into your pot and add the chicken, tomatoes, and basil. Add 2 T of the reserved pasta water (or more as needed for a little moisture). Drizzle the mixture with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir together. Dish your pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

Giada DeLaurentis is one of my favorite chefs and last night Eddie helped me make one of my favorite soup recipes from her new book, Giada's Kitchen. The soup has a comforting, velvety texture that's hearty yet not heavy. The sage and garlic really give off amazing, scrumptious flavor. Usually we puree only half of the soup so that there's some whole beans and garlic pieces mixed in, but last night we pureed it all and that was great too.  Also we serve crusty French wheat bread (instead of Ciabatta) on the side, but of course I had to skip that last night but I highly recommend you partake. Dipping the crusty bread into this soup is oh so yummy!  This soup is quick and easy to make and doesn't require a lot of expensive ingredients.  Good on the budget and the tummy!   

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

2 sage leaves, stems removed

2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, rinse and drained

4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 slices of ciabatta bread

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place a medium, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter, olive oil, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasional, until the shallots are softened. about 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves, cannellini beans, and garlic and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook gently until the garlic is softened, about 15 minutes. Pour half of the soup into a large bowl. Carefully ladle a third to half of the soup from the bowl into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (be careful to hold the top on the blender tightly, as hot liquids expand when they are blended). Pour the blended soup back into the pot and repeat with the remaining soup from the bowl. Once all the soup is returned to the soup pot, stir in the cream, salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm over very low heat.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the slices of ciabatta bread with the extra-virgin olive oil. Grill the bread until is is warm and golden grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the soup in bowls with the grilled break alongside.

Food Network also has a nice video of this recipe too. Click HERE to watch Giada make it.

*Photo and recipe courtesy of DeLaurentis, G. (2008) Giada's Kitchen. New York, New York.