My pantry looks a lot different than it did a couple of years ago. What is basic today would have been nowhere near my pantry yesterday. So when this week’s IHCC theme – PANTRY MAGIC!! – showed up I knew I had lots more choices of good things than I would have!! Now I keep more herbs and spices, several different types of flour (there are more than AP and Self-rising!), capers, BLACK RICE. And I grow more of my own veggies, too. Like Pumpkins. I decided to use some of those new goodies to make

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    Pasta with Shredded Chicken and Fried Basil

Like most of Donna’s dishes this was very easy to put together. Cook pastas. Cook and shred some chicken. Toss with some basil – done! Easy AND tasty!!

    400g (14 oz) fresh pasta*
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    3 chicken breast fillets, halved
    2 tablespoons olive oil, extra
    1/4 cup basil leaves
    125g (4 oz) fetta cheese, chopped
    cracked black pepper

Place the pasta in a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for 4-5 minutes or until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Remove, cool slightly and shred the chicken.
Add the extra oil to the pan and heat. Add the basil and cook for 2 minutes or until crisp.
To serve, drain the pasta and toss with the chicken, fetta and pepper. Pour over the oil and fried basil and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

I followed Donna’s recipe except I added some salt to the chicken before cooking it and I added some extra olive oil to the pasta after tossing everything together. It seemed a little dry.

This recipe came from Donna’s new food fast (page 30).

Check out I Heart Cooking Club for this week’s dishes from the other cooks/bakers of IHCC!