Roasted Balsamic Tomato Chicken Pasta

Chicken goes well nice on pasta don't @ me if you're an elderly Italian woman. Roasting tomatoes takes things to a 10/10.
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30 Mins I reckon

Ingredients

(Serves 4)
A Pack of Small Vine Tomatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil (we're using a lot)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
4 Large Boneless Chicken Thighs (double up if you're extra peckish)
Tablespoon of Dried Oregano
Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Teaspoon White Pepper
2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
300g Pasta (Tagliatelle works nicely)
As many Capers as you want
A ball of Mozzarella
A few torn Fresh Basil Leaves

Ingredients

(Serves 4)
A Pack of Small Vine Tomatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil (we're using a lot)
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
4 Large Boneless Chicken Thighs (double up if you're extra peckish)
Tablespoon of Dried Oregano
Tablespoon Garlic Powder
Teaspoon White Pepper
2 Teaspoons Dried Thyme
300g Pasta (Tagliatelle works nicely)
As many Capers as you want
A ball of Mozzarella
A few torn Fresh Basil Leaves

Instructions

  1. Remove all your little tomatoes from their vines and chuck them into an oven proof dish. Chop up a couple of garlic cloves roughly and get those chaps in as well. Coat them in a good splash of Olive Oil and a lovely drizzle of balsamic vinegar. A little salt and pepper on these bad lads as well please. Shimmy them about so that every tomato is nicely covered and then whack them into the oven on 180ºC for 25 minutes until they're nice and soft.
  2. Pop your chicken thighs in a bowl and cover them in a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil, Oregano, Salt and Pepper, Garlic Powder, White Pepper and Thyme. Make sure you have nice clean hands. Then stick them into that chicken and massage all the flavours into it. Get every nook and cranny.
  3. If you have a non stick pan, don't add any oil to it, otherwise a little splash of oil will help. Get it nice and hot. Pop your thighs in, hopefully you hear a sizzle as that is a fantastic indicator that the pan is hot enough. Pop a sheet of baking paper over the chicken thighs and then use a big pan to push down and flatten them. This will ensure crispiness. They'll need about 30-48 seconds as they're quite thin. Flip them and let them sizzle a bit and then press them down with your baking paper pan trick once more. Set aside on an oven tray and continue until all your chicken is crisped. Get those in with your tomatoes in the oven for about 5-6 minutes to finish cooking.
  4. I like to use fresh pasta so I pop it into salty boiling water for a couple of minutes at this stage. If you're using dried pasta, best to pop it in before you cook your chicken! Drain when cooked and then get your tomatoes and chicken out of the oven. Use a slotted spoon to get all of your Tomatoes out, without collecting too much vinegar and oil. Stick them in your pasta and stir through. I like to add a little Salt and Pepper here as well as just a tiddly bit of Olive Oil. This is also the perfect time to mix in as many capers as you like. I like loads. Tear that Mozzarella in as well and mix it all together.
  5. Slice your chicken into little strips, it should be perfectly juicy. Your mouth will be wet with excitement. Whack your pasta in a bowl and top it with chicken. Cracked Black Pepper and a little torn up Basil and you're ready to dig in. Serve with parmesan if you want, it will be nice, but if you have any minor aversion to lactose just remember that this dish contains mozzarella. Don't overdo it. Be safe when cheesing.