The day is finally here!! The moment we have ALL been waiting for since Sunday night (and no, I’m not talking about this blog post, although you should obviii be excited for that too!) It’s FRIDAY!!!! Woohooo! Ugh man, the excitement is so real. This week was a thoughy. I have been trying to get this recipe out since Monday but between everything going on I could not make it happen. Although now I’m thinking everything truly does happen for a reason because this is the perfect meal to make this weekend! A few minutes of prep in the morning will leave you smiling all week long!! Ok, let’s get to it!!
Let me start off by saying that if you’re not a fan of garlic and olive oil, then this is not the recipe for you….(just trying to keep it real)! Also, if your significant other is not a fan of garlic and olive oil and you are, then you might want to send them to a friend’s house for the night because they are not going to want a smooch from you! As you read in the title, this dish is a garlic lovers dream. Basically garlic dipped in olive oil. However, if you’re anything like me (and Monica Gellar) and think the more garlic the better, then keep reading!
Who knows the Friends reference I’m talking about?! I’m already laughing to myself thinking of this scene. Ok, where are all my Friends lovers at?! BEST SHOW EVER. Anyways, you know the episode when Phoebe is playing her guitar outside of Monica’s restaurant and Monica tells her she doesn’t want her playing in front of the building because it’s a “classy” place? The whole episode basically has them going back and forth with one another, which is hysterical, but there is what I like to call, an epicscene, where Phoebe is insulting Monica and screams, “You know Monica, there are OTHER ingredients besides garlic!” – She is basically insinuating that Monica over uses garlic it in every dish…..welllllll that’s more or less usually me and it’s definitely true of me with this garlicy pool of deliciousness! Give me all the garlic gloves!!
Mom’s Summer Pasta is truly in a league of it’s own. It is a pasta dish filled with fresh tomatoes that have been marinating in olive oil and garlic under the sun all day, mixed with grilled chicken and topped with fresh basil and manchengo cheese. So basic, yet SO good. Sometimes the best meals come from the most basic ingredients. Why do you think basic ingredients are so popular – because they work! And why fix it, if it’s not broke? Am I right or amiriight?!
I have to give credit where credit is due and the base of this recipe comes from Mama Curt herself. My mom makes this meal all the time in the summer and it is my absolute favorite pasta dish and always a huge hit! Oddly enough, I never crave pasta. This is definitely an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a huge pasta lover. It’s good don’t get me wrong, but it has never been my go-to. I’ve just never been a huge fan honestly, but I am a huge fan of this dish and I can promise you I CRAVE IT! Before I started making it myself I would get so excited whenever I knew that it was what she was making for dinner. It just smells so good and makes my mouth water! It’s like bruchetta in a bowl! Oh wow, ok – I think I’m drooling.
It is gluten free, dairy friendly, can be made dairy-free, paleo, can be made meatless, or pescatarian if you sub the chicken for shrimp or scallops – any way you want to enjoy it you can! Made with brown rice pasta, olive oil, fresh garlic, organic cherry tomatoes, organic broccoli, fresh basil, and my favorite dairy-friendly manchengo cheese (very similar to parmesean) this dish is completely guilt-free and is about to be next in your dinner line up! Look no further than down below!
The ingredients below yields about 4 servings.
What You’ll Need for Sauce/Pasta:
· 1 ¼ cup olive oil
· 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
· 3 cups of organic cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
· ¾ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
· ½ tsp. black pepper
· ¼ cup fresh basil, sliced
· ¼ cup manchengo cheese, shredded (optional - use to sprinkle over the top of each dish)
· 1 box of organic brown rice pasta
What You’ll Need for Broccoli:
· 3 cups of broccoli florets (about 3 small heads or 1 large)
· 2 tbsp. olive oil
· ¼ tsp. Himalayan pink salt
· 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
What You’ll Need for Chicken Marinate:
· 2 organic chicken breasts
· ½ fresh squeezed lemon
· 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
· 2 tbsp. olive oil
· dash of salt and pepper
Directions for Your Morning Prep:
1. In a small bowl or tuber ware container, combine all ingredients for chicken marinate and mix together. Pour over your chicken and let it marinate for at least 6-8 hours. I like to do this either first thing in the morning or the night before so the chicken has plenty of time to marinate!
2. Next, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Boil broccoli for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from water and set aside in a large bowl. Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil, ¼ tsp. salt and 2 cloves of chopped garlic and mix together. Place broccoli on parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. (This step can also be in the morning or the night before.)
3. Meanwhile, slice your cherry tomatoes in halves. You can slice them in quarters if they are on the larger side. Then in a large glass bow combine cherry tomatoes, 1 ¼ cup olive oil, 6 cloves of garlic (finely chopped), ¾ tsp. Himalayan pink salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper. Cover bowl with saran wrap and place outside in the sun for the day. Be sure to make sure the bowl is in direct sunlight. This is the special trick to this recipe! It makes the tomatoes so juicy, garlic-y, and delicious!
Directions for later in the day:
4. Once everything has marinated for the time its time to grill your chicken. Grill, slice, and set aside.
5. At the same time, in a large saucepan, bring water, a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt to a boil over medium/high heat to cook your pasta. (The olive oil and salt will help prevent the brown rice pasta from sticking together). Drain and place pasta into a large bowl.
6. Lastly, add chicken, broccoli, and olive oil/tomato sauce over pasta and mix well. Then add your fresh chopped basil and mix one last time. Serve with a sprinkle of manchengo cheese on the top and ENJOY!
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