Pasta & Chicken Toss

I have been making this pasta dish for a couple years now and it never seems to disappoint.  I always seem to most of the ingredients on hand, but you can also substitute and prepare to your liking and also to what you have on hand.

1 pound pasta (I used penne)

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 medium onion, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (mine come sliced, if not, you will want to slice them)*
1 cup artichoke hearts, sliced (mine were packed in oil, but you can use whatever you prefer)*
1 cup chicken stock

1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade chopped (you can use dried as well, but I really think fresh makes this)

Heat lightly salted water to boiling, and cook pasta al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. 

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan and saute onions until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add chicken and nearly cook through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and chicken stock and heat until chicken is fully cooked.  Add cooked pasta and half of the Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of the fresh basil.  If there is not enough "sauce," add pasta water to desired consistency.  Serve with additional cheese and basil on top.  Enjoy!

*I purchase both my sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts at Costco.  They both come in large jars: sun dried tomatoes-32 ounces; artichoke hearts-65 ounces. They both keep in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 months, if not longer.  You can't beat the price, as they each run around $7.00 to $8.00.


This is linked to Finding Joy in My Kitchen's Countdown to 2011: Main Dishes.