Chicken Pasta

If y'all are anything like me, it's difficult to make reasonably healthy dinners on limited time and budget. Why make something when McDonald's (or recently, Five Guys) is literally right there on your way home from work?

Rather than sinking into the delicousness of deep fried potatoes and random chicken parts, I've been trying to make real food lately. I've tried a few of those freezer crock pot recipes, they were kind of meh. But then a friend introduced me to this lovely dinner with the bonus option of using that homemade pizza sauce that's been sitting in my freezer for a couple of months. Amanda uses broccoli, which I just am not a fan of, so I switched that out for zucchini and mushrooms (it's still green, right?).

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts -cut to bite sized pieces
1 small yellow onion - diced/chopped however you want it
Lots and lots of garlic - minced
1 largish zucchini - chopped
1 pkg white cap mushrooms - sliced however you like them
1 can petite diced tomatoes (the 16 oz, not the huge one)
Fresh herbs
Olive Oil
1 pkg pasta (I usually go for bow ties)
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Sauce: I usually run the tomatoes through a blender because I don't like tomato chunks. But starting with petite diced rather than tomato sauce really does change the texture of the sauce. I add 3 cloves minced garlic, and fresh chopped rosemary, oregano and basil. I add a tablespoon or so of each (I vote you can't have too much flavor). A pinch of salt and a good bit of pepper finishes the sauce. I make this while the chicken and veggies are cooking.

Chicken: Heat 2-3 Tbs olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add diced chicken breasts (cut to bite size) and cook until chicken is practically done. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and the diced onion and cook until the onion is soft. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and let them cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat. Finally, add the sauce and simmer for ~10 min. You can adjust the cooking time for the veggies depending on how you like them done. I like my onions obliterated. But I don't like my zucchini mushy, so it's all up to you. ETA: Sometimes I add a splash of Balsamic dressing for some extra zing.

Finishing: Cook the pasta according to package directions while the sauce is simmering. Drain. Spoon the sauce over a plateful of pasta and add the shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!