Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Whole Grain Pasta and Cherry Tomatoes

Easy weeknight dinners. They help me survive the crazy! This recipe was no exception. It's not the dump-five-cans-in-a-crockpot-and-call-it-good easy (even though I love those recipe sometimes). This dish requires a little attention, but if I can make it while unloading/loading the dishwasher, doing a dessert photo session, and entertaining a toddler... you've got this in the bag.

The chicken gets a couple turn in the pan (on it's own to get a lovely sear, and then a second time to finish cooking, covered, in a pool of the most incredible simple sauce). The cherry tomatoes bursted in the sauce, melding perfectly with the fragrant garlic and light green onion pieces. I chose to serve it all over a bed of whole grain pasta - good, good stuff. Really filling! And no, the chicken is NOT a pile of sliced bread - even though my photo, and husband's reaction, suggest otherwise :)

If you look through the ingredients, you may notice the use of white wine. A lot of people are nervous about using wine in their cooking. Cooking wines, like dry white wine and sherry, are super-easy to use and makes sauces A-MAZING! Just make sure they have plenty of time to reduce in the pan with your ingredients (less time if the alcohol isn't a problem, more time if you want to cook out as much as you can), and reap the results shortly thereafter. I don't use the "really real" stuff - mostly because we absolutely don't have it in the house anyway. But the cooking wines have been a lifesaver when cooking meats and little easy pasta dishes like this one.

Happy weekending, my dear food-lovers! 

(I'll be sharing an amazing Valentine's Day treat for you on Sunday - won't want to miss :) 

xo, 

blondie

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Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Whole Grain Pasta and Cherry Tomatoes 
makes 4 servings

ingredients:
3 T EVOO
2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, separating white & light green pieces from the rich green
2 C grape tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 t dried oregano
3/4 C dry white wine
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
12oz whole grain spaghetti, cooked according to directions on package

method:
1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides (about 6 minutes total). Remove with tongs, and set aside (don't worry, they'll get more cooking time in a minute).
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and white & light green onions and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes, white wine, salt and pepper. Saute until wine reduces by a third, about 4 minutes. Swirl the pan every few minutes or so. (Start cooking pasta according to directions on the package  if haven't already).
3. Return chicken to pan, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink (165 degrees on meat thermometer), about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit, covered, 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Remove chicken and slice at an angle. Toss in pasta, plate pasta, then serve sliced chicken over pasta with green onion pieces. Serve immediately.

recipe adapted from: Oprah Magazine Cookbook