Balsamic Chicken & Pasta

Recently, Kurt and I had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  I ordered a delicious chicken dish that inspired me to try to make it on my own.  Here’s my version.  Our family loved it, hopefully you will too!

• 2 pints of grape tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 5 or 6 garlic cloves
• 1 TBS butter (I have to use margarine because I’m lactose intolerant, but butter would taste so much better!)
• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
• 1/2 lb pasta
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• fresh basil – several leaves

Simple Steps

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and place on cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Add garlic cloves to cookie sheet.  (I cut some of my bigger cloves in half.)Sprinkle with about 1 TBS Kosher salt.  Drizzle 1 – 2 TBS olive oil over tomatoes and garlic.  Mix together and place in oven for 8 minutes.
3. Heat frying pan between medium and medium high with 2 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter.  Add chicken tenders to hot oil and melted butter.  Sprinkle a little Kosher salt on each piece of chicken.
4. Remove roasted tomatoes and garlic from oven.  Remove the garlic cloves from tomatoes.  Place garlic cloves in the frying pan as the garlic is not completely cooked.
5. Once chicken edges are white, turn chicken pieces over.
6. Begin to boil water for pasta.  When the water is at a full boil, add pasta to water.  At this time you are now ready to add the roasted tomatoes to the chicken.  Turn chicken every so often.  Add balsamic vinegar to the chicken.  I am guessing at it being 1/4 cup.  I made 5 trips around the pan with my vinegar, sorry for the vagueness.
7. When the pasta is done, so is the chicken.  Drain pasta and place in bowl.  Remove chicken from pan and place on a serving dish.  Take the remaining tomatoes and garlic sauce in the pan and add to the pasta.  Top dishes with fresh basil.
8. Enjoy!