Fresh Tomato Pasta with Chicken

Serves 4

Quick and easy pasta with cooked chicken as an option.

Gil

Fresh Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti, rigatoni, penne or other pasta

¼ cup olive oil

2 pints cherry tomatoes, or 3 cups chopped tomatoes 

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp crushed red pepper

½ cup fresh basil chopped, plus more for serving

2-3 chicken breast or 1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped, optional

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain pasta and set aside.

Add olive oil to large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt and crushed red pepper and cook one more minute. Carefully mash the tomatoes. Try using a potato masher or back of large spoon to mash tomatoes. Add cooked chicken. Continue cooking 5 to 10 minutes to create a tomato sauce. Add drained pasta on top of the tomato sauce along with the basil and parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Add as much of the reserved pasta water as needed to reach the desired consistency.

Serve immediately with more fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tip: To use dried instead of fresh basil , add 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons dried basil to the sauce at same time as the chicken.  

Fresh Tomato Pasta in pot.

Pasmesan, fresh basil and cooked pasta.