Pantry Raid: Garlic Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

I love to cook, so there is nothing worse than being on a food budget. No wine, no fancy fixings just whatever I was able to budget in for the week.

Tonight when I opened my fridge there was...Milk, broccoli, Pecorino cheese and left over chicken, BORING!

Thank goodness things I will never skimp on are good olive oil, sea salt and garlic. With them you can make a lot of different dishes.

Ingredients:
- thin spaghetti noodles - 1 1/2" diameter when holding in hands
- broccoli cut into medium size pieces
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and pressed
- olive oil
- grated pecorino cheese
- rosemary sea salt
- left over cooked chicken, diced

Boil pasta water and follow instructions on package to cook pasta. Before putting the pasta in the boiling water quickly blanch the broccoli for about 1 minute so there is still some crunch to it. Then remove the broccoli and add the pasta to cook.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, add pressed garlic and diced chicken, just to long enough to heat of the chicken.

Drain the pasta and put in a bowl. Pour the chicken and broccoli over the top and toss lightly to coat with the olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary sea salt and cheese, toss again to mix, then serve.

Dinner turned out great, I only wish there was a bottle of wine around. Sigh!