Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl

If you are looking for a quick and easy meal with mostly ingredients that you have on hand but that will taste like a fancy dish you would get from a high-end restaurant - this is it!!! I didn't have feta cheese or a red pepper on hand, but they weren't too expensive to come by. The whole meal was ready to put together by the time it took the noodles to boil! My camera is out of batteries so the picture is courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe (and so is the recipe!). It can be found here.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN NOODLE BOWL
From My Kitchen Café

1 pound linguine
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) balsamic vinegar
5 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 5 tsp. minced)
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil (can substitute 1 cup fresh basil)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded or cubed mozzarella cheese
½ cup feta cheese

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until just tender according to package directions. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper. When combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is completely combined.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the bell pepper. Cook briefly until crisp-tender. Add the cooked chicken and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

When the noodles have been drained, add the hot noodles to the skillet with the red pepper and chicken and toss. Add the shredded or cubed mozzarella and toss quickly to combine before the cheese melts. Pour the dressing over the top and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients with the dressing. Sprinkle feta on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*NOTE: Do NOT leave the red pepper out. It adds SOOO much to the dish. And it is even better if served with bread!