Place chicken in a plastic bag and pound with a tenderizer (or your first) until even in thickness. They should be ¼-½" thick.
2 medium chicken breasts
Remove chicken from bag and sprinkle both sides generously with black pepper and salt.
Kosher salt and black pepper
Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Once oil is hot, add chicken and sauté for 8-10 minutes. Flip and sauté 8-10 more, until golden with an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from pan and rest at least 10 minutes before cutting.
While chicken is sautéing, multitask and make your pasta according to package instructions. Not all packaging specifies this, but be sure to add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to your pasta water before boiling for extra flavorful noodles.
8 ounces (about 2 & ½ cups) whole wheat rotini pasta
If your pan has excessive residue from cooking chicken, carefully pour ¼ cup of water into the skillet while it's still hot. Dump water and wipe clean with a paper towel.
Place pan back on the stove, reduce heat to medium-low. Put butter in the skillet and allow it to melt completely.
5 tablespoons salted butter, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Add tomatoes and cook them in butter for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant (garlic burns easily so be careful, it won't take long)!
Remove pan from heat, drain noodles and mix them into butter sauce. Slice (or dice) chicken and stir into skillet.
Add toppings like parmesan, red pepper flakes and parsley if desired. Plate and enjoy!
Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, chopped fresh parsley