Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

Ingredients

8 ounces orzo, preferably whole-wheat

1 cup water

½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, (not oil-packed), divided

1 plum tomato, diced

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1¼ pounds)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

½ cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided

Preparation

Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.

Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out ½ cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.

Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Nutrition information

Makes 4 servings

30 minutes preparation time

Serving size: 3 oz. chicken & 1 cup pasta

Per serving: 455 calories; 12 g fat (3g sat); 10g fiber; 54g carbohydrates; 36g protein; 140mcg folate; 70mg cholesterol; 4g sugars; 0g added sugars; 536 IU vitamin A; 5mg vitamin C; 168mg calcium; 4mg iron; 377mg sodium; 782mg potassium