Tomato & Basil Pasta with White Wine Sauce

A new favorite dish to add to your weekly recipe arsenal is this this light, creamy pasta - it tastes so fresh with the tomatoes and basil, and is a perfect meal for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!

Tomato & Basil Pasta with White Wine Sauce

Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 cups (8 oz.) of penne pasta

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

6 cloves garlic, minced

10-12 oz of cherry or grape tomatoes

3-4 tbsp basil (fresh)

1 tsp dried oregano

1/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

1/4 cup white wine or white cooking wine

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Optional: 1-2 grilled chicken breast, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Prep:

1. Bring salted water to a boil and cook penne pasta until al dente, about 10-11 minutes.

2. Drain pasta and set aside (optional: save 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water for sauce).

3. Mince 6 cloves of garlic.

4. Chop fresh basil into strips (julienne)

5. Optional: slice tomatoes in half for faster cooking.

6. Optional: Fully cook chicken breast and slice into strips.

Cook:

1. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, heat olive oil and butter until the butter melts.

2. Add oregano and minced garlic to the sauce pan and cook until garlic starts to brown slightly (about 1-2 minutes)

3. Add tomatoes and white wine/white cooking wine to pan and bring to a simmer

4. Continue simmering on medium or medium-low until tomatoes start to burst (Note: if you opted to slice tomatoes beforehand, look to see when the tomato skin starts to peel from the tomato).

5. Turn off heat and stir in cream and half the basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add the pasta and half the parmesan to pan and mix to coat. (Also add the chicken at this step)

7. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and basil and enjoy!