eaten: Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce and Chicken Parmesan Paillards

I cannot even describe how fresh and light and delicious this dish was. I could go on and on. It might be one of my favorite things I have come across all year. And it is so simple. This whole meal was a testament to the beauty of simple, fresh ingredients.

So I am mixing two different recipes. We had the fresh pasta recipe paired with the Parmesan chicken from another recipe. I really liked the lighter preparation of the chicken. Pounding it flat, yields a faster cooking time and less time in the oil. In the original recipe, they only coated one side of the chicken and that could be a great option too but I put cheese on both sides.

For the pasta I ended up making it as stated but I couldn't find the fettuccine so I used fresh cheese ravioli instead. Half a package, 20 oz. I froze the other half to be used for another meal because I will be making this again. And again. And again.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
Recipe and Picture from Cooking Light

• 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine, we used half a 20 oz fresh ravioli package
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, about 1 pint
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; place pasta in a large bowl.
2. 2. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and salt; cover and cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in basil and pepper. Add tomato mixture to pasta; toss well to combine. Top with cheese.

Barbara Seelig Brown, Cooking Light
SEPTEMBER 2010

Chicken Parmesan Paillards  
Recipe and Picture from Cooking Light

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves $
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Preparation

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine cheese and flour in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of each chicken breast half in cheese mixture.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 chicken breast halves; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken breast halves. Remove from pan; serve immediately.

Lia Huber, Cooking Light
MARCH 2007