Balsamic Chicken and Pasta

Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Balsamic-Chicken-and-Pasta/Detail.aspx

NGREDIENTS:

3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ounces fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 pound penne pasta 2 pints grape tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Mince garlic cloves in food processor or blender. Add 1/3 of the basil leaves to the processor, and chop until fine. Pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, and continue to process until mixture turns light yellow with flecks of basil. Add the balsamic vinegar; process just until combined.
2.	Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-top storage bag along with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the contents of the food processor. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Allow chicken to marinate for 2 hours, or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
3.	Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
4.	Brown chicken in a large skillet over large heat, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large baking dish, and place in the oven until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, slice into 1/4 inch strips, and return to baking dish to absorb cooking juices. Keep warm.
5.	While chicken is baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Boil the pasta until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well. Stir the chicken and the juices from the baking dish into the hot pasta.
6.	Thinly slice the remaining basil leaves, and place in a large serving bowl along with the tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top basil and tomatoes with the hot pasta, sauce, and chicken; toss to combine.

Changes: Added sauteed mushrooms, skipped all the baking instructions

I liked this, though it could use more flavor. Marinating the meat longer would help, maybe adding more vegetables?


February 2011 Update:  I made this again and I thought it was delicious.  Again, I totally ignored the baking instructions.  I made all the sauce, but only had half of the chicken, this was a good idea.  I marinated the chicken for 15 minutes, then just cooked them at medium in the pan with the lid closed.  I didn't add the extra sauce, since there was plenty still after cooking the chicken.  It is really worth it to buy fresh basil when making this.