easy pasta dinner

Mama mia! This pasta recipe inspired by none other than the queen of Italian cooking--Giada DeLaurentiis--is an easy and quick meal yet tastes and looks super gourmet. I stumbled upon the original recipe through my friend Kelsey and added lots of tweaks to make it husband-approved [my hubs must have meat for dinner every day. Men...]

For time's sake, I'll cut my story-telling short and get on with the recipe! Let me know if you try it out and if you make any tweaks of your own! xo.

Chicken, Tomato, Bacon Ravioli
[adapted from Giada's recipe, found here]
Serves 4*


1 bag of frozen cheese ravioli
2 small chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into 1 inch cubes
6 pieces of bacon, chopped [I used the pre-cooked kind]
1 [15-oz.] can of diced tomatoes, drained
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil seasoning
2 cups frozen peas - can use spinach or arugula if desired
2 tbsp. butter

Directions:
1. Bake the chicken at 400 degrees for about an hour. Check on it periodically until no longer pink in the center. Cut into approx. 1 inch cubes.

2. Meanwhile, about 10 minutes before the chicken is done cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the frozen ravioli. The ravioli takes about 5-9 minutes until it's done--when they start to float to the top, turn off the stove. Drain the pasta.

3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and chicken and let the flavors meld for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and peas, and continue stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter.

4. Pour the ravioli into a large bowl and toss with the tomato mixture. Serve immediately.

*This meal would make 4 modest servings [perhaps with a side salad or some other food item] or 2 large servings. It also will refrigerate for a delicious lunch the next day!