Herb Rubbed Chicken with Creamy Orzo

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Annie's Eats. It looked so creamy and didn't seem like it would take long, plus I had all of the ingredients on hand. So I decided to make it for dinner one night last week. This was so delicious and comforting. I lightened it up a little by using fat free half and half instead of the heavy cream and it was still wonderful. Definitely adding it to the regular dinner rotation.

Herb Rubbed Chicken with Creamy Orzo

Source: Annie's Eats adapted from Smells Like Home, who adapted it from Food Network

Ingredients:

8 oz. orzo pasta, uncooked

2 chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 pieces total)

Salt and pepper

2 tsp. Herbes de Provence (or 1/2 tsp each of rosemary, savory, marjoram, and thyme)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 shallot or 1/4 medium sized onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, with juices

2 cups broccoli florets

½ cup fat free half & half

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
Season both sides of the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle evenly with the Herbes de Provence. Heat the olive oil (or spray pan with cooking spray) in a 12- or 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast halves to the pan and cook about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant.

Add the diced tomatoes with juices and the broccoli florets to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer over medium-low. Cover and let cook until the broccoli florets are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked orzo, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.

Mix until well blended and the cheese has melted. If necessary, add some of the reserved pasta water to smooth out the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.