Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata

I made this the other night and it was so good! Really easy to make. I used whole wheat penne pasta and served it with fresh steamed broccoli. I also forgot to marinate the meat overnight (whoops!), so it only marinated a few hours and it was still great, so don't worry if you forget like I did :)  Also, this recipe only calls for 2 chicken breasts, so I doubled the recipe for my family.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata

Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp basil or oregano

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups dried penne pasta

2 Tbsp butter

Juice of 2 lemons (6 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)

2 tsp dried basil

2 Tbps capers

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well.  Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken.  Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.  When ready, grill until done.  Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

Pasta

While chicken is grilling.  Cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes).  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.  In same sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Whisk in garlic and lemon juice.  Pour in half and half and whisk until hot.  Add some salt and pepper to taste.  Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted.  Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  Toss in pasta.

Serve with grilled chicken on top of pasta.  Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.