One Pot Pasta

Sorry it has been so long since our last post!  I found this recipe on Pinterest [imagine that]! And decided to try it out.  I did a few tweaks, but it was super easy and delicious!

• 12 ounces linguine
• 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
• 1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ---- I use the jar of minced garlic and used 4 tbsp
• 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes --- I only used a shake or two
• 2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish ----I used the awesome basil paste stuff pictured below and used 3 tbsp
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 1/2 cups water
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

[Those are seriously the best cheats ever.]

Basically, you put all ingredients into a large pot, boil for 9 minutes or until al dente, and serve!  SO EASY!!

Italian Baked Chicken

Wow it has been a while!  I accidentally deleted all of my recipe/food photos, so they will be Instagram photos for a while. [oopsy]

Today I have a recipe for baked Italian chicken, but the REAL star of this dish is the pasta sauce you create at the same time.  This was THE best sauce I've ever eaten [and my uber picky husband loved it too!].

3-4 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp minced garlic from jar [or 2 cloves minced fresh]
1 can artichoke hearts
1 tbsp olive oil
dash salt & pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 cups shredded mozzarella
basil [a sprinkling is a measurement right?]

Drain the artichokes and combine all of the ingredients except cheese in a 9x13 baking dish.  I baked this dish at 400 degrees for about an hour because I was cooking something else at the same time, but I baked it with a meat thermometer inserted to make sure I took it out at the right time.  My chicken was also really thick.  I kind of hate baking chicken because I never know how long is too long, but I digress.  The true star is the sauce anyway.  When the chicken is done, take out and top each piece with a generous handful of cheese and sprinkle with basil.  I served the chicken and sauce over linguine [which is my new favorite].  You WILL enjoy this dish.