Summer pasta

Jen was over last Friday and let's just say it had been a hell of a week. We both needed some comfort food. Pasta isn't something I usually indulge in...but desperate times call for desperate measures. We thought it best to start dinner with a little wine. (read: a little wine)

This is a great recipe for summer because it features zucchini which we all have too much of right now.

And basil, which we can never have too much of (growing heartily in my garden), 

and Parmesan cheese... which is good year-round (like every day!)

It's also pretty. That's important. 

The kids will eat it too. You can't say that about everything that comes out of my kitchen.

Besides, there are lots of ways to burn off the extra carbs...

Summer Pasta:

1 2/3 cup olive oil (divided)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 T dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic sliced

1.5 # chicken breasts (I use 3)

2 red bell peppers

2 portabella mushroom caps

1 red onion

1 16oz pkg of penne pasta

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup slivered fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

** In a bowl whisk together 2/3 cup olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup of this marinade for basting vegetables. Pour remaining marinade into a ziploc bag with thawed chicken and marinate about an hour or longer. Chop veggies and grill alongside the chicken basting with reserved marinade. (Jen and I didn't have men around so we didn't grill, we baked the chicken and sauteed the veggies. You can totally skip the grill... but sometimes it's nice to get the boys outside and save on the dirty dishes. If you do saute the veggies, just dump the reserved marinade into the pan while they are sizzling away). Boil pasta and drain. Mix in remaining cup of olive oil (I do a little less), Parmesan cheese, grilled/sliced chicken, and veggies into the cooked noodles. Garnish with basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. This makes a lot of pasta. I easily feed 6 adults with this recipe. 

Enjoy!!