Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

WOW!  This was really, really good.  The homemade tomato sauce was out of this world.  Got this recipe from Eating Well.  The sauce had a zing from the vinegar and just was really great on the pasta.  I think next time I might make more of the sauce,  This recipe gives just enough to coat, which is enough really, but I wanted more.  Did I mention this was really good.  I wasn't too hard to make either.  The artichoke hearts just fit right in with the flavors - it all kind of had a Meditaranian flare.  We just used the canned ones and they were great.  I would also double the artichokes and forget about the chicken.  We didn't use Orzo, as in the recipe, but we just used some pasta we had.  This was really great and we will definitely do again.

I think is recipe is 4 servings, but not sure about it.  You can always reheat the left-overs, but there might not be any!





INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

PREPARATION

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.