Tomato, Basil and Chicken Linguine!

Yes, we do have a lot of basil.  Our plants have proved to be great producers, and it looks like my thumb is growing a green tint :)

Our tomatoes, while abundant in number, have paused in their ripening.  Until the heat wave rolled through we had anywhere from 2-6 tomatoes ripened each day.  We got our first red tomato in 2 weeks today.  Jon and I both missed it, but Ezzie caught it.  He brought it in to me as a special gift just for me - I love his sweet heart.

So, tonight's dinner was inspired by a pinterest post that only had pictures attached.  I went ahead and purchased tomatoes at Kroger.  They happened to be local, and if you look at the pic, amazingly gorgeous!

So, here is the recipe we discovered tonight that we absolutely loved.  It reminded me of a true Italian dish.  When I traveled to Italy back in 2005 I was surprised by how Italian food tasted very different from "Italian" food here in the states.  A key difference I found was in the Italians' use of fresh ingredients, including herbs, and not having many processed items in their cooking.  If you enjoy tomatoes and basil, you may find yourself falling for this recipe too :)

The ingredients:
- 1lb Linguini, or other pasta
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1lb boneless skinless chicken
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 amazing tomatoes, or how every many you want!
- A bunch of basil - about 1 C loose leaves
- 1/4 C butter sliced
- Grated parmesan, if desired
- A touch of sea salt at the end, if desired

Step 1: Begin to boil your water for pasta now, and prepare your pasta as you go.  For the heart of the meal, in a nice pan, heat oil over M or ML heat.  Then add minced garlic.  We love our mincer!  Allow to heat just until fragrant, and then add your chicken.  

Step 2: Cook chicken until browned, and then flip and cook the other side until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Then add chopped tomatoes.  Stir and allow the juices to bubble.  Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Step 3:  Add the basil and inhale!  If you have a handy chicken spoon holder, or pig as some members of our family received one Christmas, place your spoon there after stirring and just stand and breathe in the goodness!

Step 4: Add in your butter, and turn heat to high.  Get a good boil going on and cook for another 2-3 minutes to meld the flavors.

Step 5: Drain and add in the pasta that is al dente.  Allow to boil for about 2-3 minutes until there is just a small amount of liquid in the pant.  Turn off the heat and mix as needed while you allow the mixture to cool enough for the sauce to begin clinging to the pasta.

Step 6: Grate fresh parmesan over your amazing pasta.

Add a sprinkle of sea salt if you like (it really brightens the flavors!), and enjoy!