One Pan Chicken Dinner

Put a large sauté pan on at medium high and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. If the breasts are big, cut into thirds by cutting the skinny end off and slice the large end horizontally. If they are average or small, just slice them in half horizontally. Cover with plastic wrap and hammer flat, all to about the same thickness. Or just skip all the cutting and hammering and go with chicken tenders.

Salt and pepper the top side. Put in the pan, salted side down, and salt and pepper the top side. Cook about 3–6 minutes each side, depending on the thickness, or until juices run clear and/or they are firm when pressed with your finger.

While chicken is cooking, cut off and discard the stump ends of the asparagus spears and cut the spears into thirds. Put in a strainer and rinse well. Let drain.

Add pasta, asparagus, garlic and chopped parsley to the pan. Reserve a little parsley for garnish. Then add canned tomatoes or sauce and chicken broth, and a little more salt and pepper. Mix well.

When it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat enough to just maintain a rapid simmer. Cover and cook for 6–8 minutes. Stir and turn over the chicken a couple of times while it cooks, keeping the asparagus and the pasta down in the liquid as much as possible, until pasta is cooked as desired.

Spoon the sauce all over everything. Garnish with reserved parsley and top with remaining grated Parmesan.