Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, inspired by How Sweet Eats

I'm sure you are wondering where I have been as far as recipes!  Well, I was three weeks ahead with my blog, which was the first time I've been able to do that.  Then, sadly, I had two major recipe fails in a row when I came back from my vacation.  Recipe fails have happened to me in the past, but this time it was upsetting to me because it was what I was going to share for Valentine's Day.  I will not put anything on the blog that I don't believe 100% in as far as taste.  That is a promise.  I'm so happy to be back on a roll, and I have a lot of exciting things to share in the coming weeks.

I think that you will LOVE today's recipe for Bruschetta Chicken Pasta.  It first appeared on Jessica Merchant's blog How Sweet Eats on July 15, 2018.  I don't know why I waited so long to make this.  It is so delicious! 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Topping:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons diced sweet onion
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 to 4 ounces mozzarella cheese  (I used Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Style Slices.)
• Balsamic Glaze for drizzling (I used a tiny bit.  1 tablespoon has 8g of sugar.  You can omit it.)
• 1/2 pound pasta, cooked (I used Tinkyada brown rice spaghetti.)
• A few handfuls of fresh basil for sprinkling
• Shaved Parmesan, if desired (I used Follow Your Heart Parmesan Style Shredded Cheese Alternative)

Instructions:

• Pound the chicken a few times with a meat tenderizer.  Place it in a ziplock bag or baking dish.  Whisk together the 1/4 cup oil, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper. Pour it over the chicken and marinate for a least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, onion and olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss well.
• Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Take the chicken out of the marinade and add it to the skillet.  Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Once both sides are browned, place the mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast.  Top each chicken breast with a big spoonful of the bruschetta mixture - don't use it all, because you'll add the pasta to it.  Drizzle the balsamic glaze on top of the chicken.  Bake the chicken for 15 minutes.
• While the chicken is baking, boil the pasta.  Once the pasta is done, drain it and immediately place it in a large bowl and toss with the remaining bruschetta mixture and a tablespoon or so of olive oil, if needed.  Slice the chicken and place it on top of the pasta.  Add a handful of fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, if desired, and toss well.  Serve immediately!

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

You can also put the bruschetta and chicken over a mix of salad greens.  Or, you can just have the bruschetta with the chicken.  The recipe is versatile, as well as tasty!  I hope you enjoy this recipe!