italian skillet chicken with orzo

I've only cooked with orzo once before, and if my memory serves me right all I did was put grape tomatoes and Feta cheese in it.  This recipe for Italian chicken was just as simple and involved only a few more steps.  Also, toasting the orzo before you cook it brings out a nutty flavor that blends well with the Italian seasonings.  I never heard of toasting pasta before cooking it so this was definitely brand new to me and it worked out great!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 cup orzo

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper

1. Rinse chicken and pat with paper towels.  Rub all over with oregano and pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toast orzo until golden-brown, about 3 - 5 mins.

3. Transfer orzo to bowl and then heat 1 tbsp. oil in skillet until it sizzles when you place a few drops of water in.  Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

4. Add garlic and remaining oil to empty skillet and cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant.

5. Add tomatoes, broth and toasted orzo and bring to a boil.

6. Return chicken to skillet and cook, covered, over med-low heat until chicken is cooked through and orzo is tender, about 10 - 12 minutes.  Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Another slam dunk that we will add to our dinner rotation.  It had just enough spice from the red pepper flakes, balanced out with the sweetness of the tomatoes.  

I apologize for the quality of my photos --- they need more work than the recipes.  It's funny how the "food" setting on my Nikon S8000 can take great pictures of babies but takes not-so-great photos of my food.  Oh well, there's always room for improvement!