Tomato and Olive Penne

Tomato & Olive Penne

Serves 4 - Prep Time: 25 minutes - Total Time: 25 minutes

salt & pepper

1 pound penne or other short pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2/3 pound of cherry tomatoes (2 cups), halved or quartered

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
1- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne according to package instructions until al dente, about 13 minutes. Drain
2- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the Olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, & cook, stirring, until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, & 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring, until tomato juices run, about 3 minutes.
3- Add the penne, olives, parsley, & 1/4 cup of Parmesan to the skillet & toss to combine. Serve with more cheese if desired.

My mom gave me this recipe, & it is pretty good. But we like to have meat with our meals most of the time so I picked up some boneless, skinless chicken breast. Marinated them in McCormick's Grill Mates flavor :Tomato, Garlic & Basil marinade & BB-Q it. They taste very good together!
Enjoy!