Chicken Parm Pasta Toss (Rachael Ray)

Ingredients

• salt
• 1 lb whole wheat penne
• 3 tablespoons evoo extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• ground black pepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 cups basil, chopped
• 3 cups arugula or baby arugula, roughly chopped
• 1 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions

1. 1

   Fill a large pasta pot with water and place it over high heat. Once the water comes up to a boil, salt it and drop in the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve a mugful of starchy cooking water, then drain and reserve.

2. 2

   While the water is coming up to a boil, place a large skillet over high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Season the chicken pieces with the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper then add it to the preheated skillet. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

3. 3

   Once the chicken is brown, add the garlic and onions to the pan, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cover the pan with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst open and begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes (if they haven’t started to burst open by that time, mash them lightly with a potato masher or wooden spoon). Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

4. 4

   Add the drained pasta and reserved starchy cooking water (about 1 cup) to the skillet with the chicken and tomatoes, and toss over the heat until combined, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil, arugula, and cheese. Serve.