Chicken, pasta and vegetables anyone??? 🙂 Only my favorite mixture to a recipe EVER. This one I had to make the sauce 2x. I messed it up the first time… whoops! HA! It’s light and creamy, and definitely crave-worthy. Added protein with a couple of chicken tenderloins added to the top, and voila! My sweet hubby hinted that it was like a restaurant dish! Alright!!! 🙂

So, let’s see if I can remember this recipe… I made the mistake of not writing anything down because I was planning on blogging this last night, and it didn’t happen… I had to watch the finale of Bachelor in Paradise. Yeah, I said it. Don’t judge.. 😉

So, here goes!

Ingredients

• 12 ounces orecchiette or some other short pasta (3 cups)
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 6-8 chicken tenderloins (I sauteed 2 per person)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute (By Trader Joes)
• 1 1/2 lemons
• 1/2 cup Half&Half
• 1/4 onion diced
• 12-16 grape tomatoes (or similar)

Directions

1. Heat 1 TB olive oil in large skillet and place chicken tenderloins (if using TJ chicken tenderloins like me, no need to thaw before cooking) into hot oil, and sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and 21 seasoning salute (like Mrs. Dash). Add the diced onion, minced garlic and the grape tomatoes. Once the chicken has cooked through (about 5-6 min per side) remove the chicken and put on a plate to the side and cover. Add juice of 1/2 lemon and zest to the skillet and stir. Then add 2 TB butter. Cook until tomatoes start to burst. Once all of that is well incorporated, remove skillet from heat and slowly stir in the Half&Half.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. With orecchiette, occasional stirring will help them not to stick together.
3. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, olive oil, garlic salt, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and the juice and zest of 1 lemon.
4. Roast, tossing once, under the broiler on LOW for 8-10 minutes.
5. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, and add the sauce from the skillet and stir.
6. Sprinkle with the cut up fresh mozzarella before serving.

ENJOY! This was a favorite of mine… probably can’t make it too often seeing as how it has butter and half&half in it… but it will be a “indulge” meal. YUM!

And now, for the quote of the day: