March 12- Pasta with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

I may be morphing into a food critic. 

This pasta dish tasted just fine and was definitely edible, but it was simply missing the mmmmmm-factor. Over all we liked it, but probably give it a 6 on a scale of 10. I blame the ingredients, but I give you permission to disagree and blame it on the chef. I am only a kitchen rookie, after all (I also admit that I forgot to put the grated cheese on the table when I served dinner...oops). I would certainly eat this again, but probably would not spontaneously begin to crave it. 

Pasta with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes

(Original Recipe: Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken & Grape Tomatoes by Skinnytaste)

Ingredients: 4 small chicken breasts, diced in 1 inch cubes

Cooking spray

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp basil

salt and pepper

8oz whole wheat pasta

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

4 tsp olive oil

4 tbsp chopped basil

1.) Bring salted pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as directed. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. 

2.) Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Set aside.

3.) In a separate skillet, add olive oil on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown (not burnt). Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté about 4-5 minutes.

4.)Add pasta to tomatoes and toss well. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Add fresh basil and chicken, toss well.

5.) Serve, topped with grated cheese.