Loadin' up

When I was an actual athlete, coaches always preached the age-old rule to load up on carbs the night before big games or track meets. Translation:  I ate a lot of spaghetti in high school.

That said, I don't accept just any pasta. If I ever deny your spaghetti, it's not your fault. I'm extremely picky. I'm usually starving with absolutely no cravings if I order pasta in restaurants.

So as fate would have it, I'm married to a pasta lover. Chicken fettuccine is my hubby's favorite foods. I've refused to make it yet; my mom's recipe that E loves has two sticks of butter in it. I tell him the delicious smell of noodles, chicken, and creamy sauce is just his brain denying that he's eating a plate full of heart attack.

All that said, some things have changed. I still haven't caved and made chicken fettuccine, but I did discover this recipe a few weeks into our marriage, and since first taste, it's become a favorite of E and I. It's opened my eyes to the pasta world, end it really could not get easier.

Here's what you need:
- 10 oz. penne pasta
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
- fresh basil
- 3 oz. feta cheese
- water (for boiling)
- medium sauce pan
- medium skillet

First, bring your pasta to a boil. While doing that, start heating your tomatoes on low-medium heat. You want them to be bubbling, but not splattering juice all over.

Add as much basil as you like. Instead of shredding, I just tear the leaves up into fourths. 

Drain your pasta and add the tomato-basil mixture, and top it all off with the feta cheese. (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the cheese. I was too distracted by my appetite.)

And there you have it. We usually eat this pasta as a side dish, but most recently made it a main by adding some chicken to it. It's one of the most delicious meals I've made in 20 minutes.

You should also eat it with fresh bread, because bread is good.