Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

I have had some Orzo in my pantry for at least a year so I decided it was time to make a dish using the orzo. Here is what I found.

I would probably double the homemade tomato sauce. I did not have marjoram, so I used fresh basil.




Printable Version Ingredients
8 ounces orzo
1 cup water
1/2 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
1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper
1-9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed---I used canned
1/2 cup finely shredded Romano cheese, divided
Method:
1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8-10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Make the tomato sauce--Mix 1 cup water, 1/4 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.
3. 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, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.