BLT Chicken Pasta

I love going to the grocery store—however, sometimes I like to challenge myself and see what I can do with ingredients that I have on hand. I had two ingredients that I really wanted to use—kale and grape tomatoes. I usually cook kale at a high temperature in the oven in various sauces and spices, but I wanted something different that incorporated both. Kale is like lettuce and with tomatoes it made me think of an American favorite—BLTs. I was not in the mood for a sandwich, I needed more protein than just bacon and that is where my idea was born—BLT Chicken Pasta. This was absolutely delicious and it really hit the spot. This is definitely something I will make again.

Ingredients

4 slices of bacon, sliced in bite sized pieces

2 chicken breasts

8 oz of grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1 small head of kale, chopped

3 cups of cooked pasta (I used rotini)

1)      In a pan, sauté the bacon and once you get some grease going, add the chicken breasts and cook until they are done, about 6 minutes a side. In the meantime, cook your pasta in a large pot (you will need it later). Drain and return to the pot you cooked it in.

2)       With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and also the chicken. Set aside.

3)      Add the grape tomatoes and the kale to the same sauté pan and cook until the kale is wilted and the tomatoes hot. Slice the chicken into strips and cut in half.

4)      Put the pasta back on the stove in the pot you cooked it in, add the contents of the sauté pan and then the chicken and bacon.  Cook under low heat, tossing all of the ingredients evenly.

This was great when I ate it and even better the next day as leftovers.