Roasted Tomato & Garlic Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken is pretty much a staple in our household, so I'm always looking for new ways to prep it. And I'm always looking for a big flavor punch without too much work. This recipe is a mashup of two different ones I found online but I think it's a perfect blend of light and savory. The roasted tomatoes and the light garlic gravy (yes, I said garlic gravy, it will blow your socks off) with the fresh herbs and lemon zest really rounds out the heavy pasta. Another plus is that this recipe can be ready to go in 30 minutes so it fits perfectly into your busy schedule. Shall we?

To start out, set a pot of water on the stove, add salt and a bit of olive oil, and bring it to a boil for your pasta. Wheat pasta cooks a bit longer than regular pasta, so cook according to package directions. Trim and cut your chicken breasts into bite sized strips, and season with your favorite stuff. I'm using a 'special' blend my MIL gave us, but if you're not sure what to use just stick with the basics of salt & pepper. Bring a saute pan to medium heat, add your oil, and cook the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate and set aside leaving the chicken juice in the pan.

Keep the pan on medium heat, and add butter, minced garlic, and grated onion to the pan, and cook until softened and fragrant, mmmm. Seriously, if you've never used a cheese grater on an onion you are missing out. We're going to make a roux, so add flour to the softened onion and garlic and stir it around for about 2 minutes to cook out the flour flavor, and make sure to scrape up those brown bits from the chicken! Next add the chicken broth to the mixture to make your "Garlic Gravy", it's heavenly. Like seriously I'm going to start using it all the time. If you don't have any chicken broth on hand, vegetable broth, or the water from your cooked pasta will work just fine.

Once your gravy comes to a simmer it's time to add in the tomatoes, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Stir everything together and put a lid on it if you can to let the flavors come together for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken back into the pan. I need a lid for my favorite saute pan so in a pinch I'll set a glass cutting board over the top of it just to help hold in that steam. Continue to cook until the tomatoes are wilted, about 5 minutes.

By now your pasta should be cooked al dente, so drain it and return it to the pan, removed from heat.

Once you're ready to plate, create a bed of pasta in the bowl, lay a few pieces of chicken over it, and then ladle out some of that good gravy - don't forget the tomatoes! Squeeze the lemon over top of everything, and sprinkle (read: blanket) with grated parmesan, and dig in!

Ingredients:

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
8 oz spaghetti pasta(I like the whole wheat kind)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced or coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated or finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons flour (white, wheat, almond, or coconut)
2 cups chicken broth (pasta water will work in a pinch!)
2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon basil or 4-6 fresh leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Juice & zest of 1 lemon

salt & pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan for garnish

Enjoy this light and healthy option for lunch, or dinner!