Spaghettini with Fresh Herby Tomato Sauce and with Chicken

I wouldn't say I'm drowning in tomatoes because I'm using them up as fast as they come ripe.  I've dehydrated masses of Principe Borghese tomatoes, mostly giving them away, but now I'm drying them for our use.  And there are still lots to be had!  Ditto with the Health Kick and Classica tomatoes.  I have frozen packages of roasted tomato sauce waiting in the freezer for winter meals.  Two batches of salsa sit on the shelves to be added to my husband's signature Mexican Chicken dish, not to mention Nachos!

Today I decided to try some of the Principe Borghese tomatoes in a fresh tomato sauce with chicken and served with spaghettini.  And it was delicious!  A suitable recipe was found on the Internet and, of course, I adapted it for our needs.  Any cherry tomatoes will do, but the Principe Borghese were particularly good in the recipe.  I used herbes de Provence as it was handy in the spice rack, but you could make up your own mixture - just use lots!  The recipe I found also called for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but we generally use thighs.  We prefer the flavour and they cook so much faster.  I've given a recipe for four people, but I actually made it about 2/3 for two of us.

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes
Oil for sautéing - about 6 Tbsp
2 Tbsp herbes de Provence
1 tsp salt - plus a bit more
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine tomatoes, 2 Tbsp oil and herbes de Provence in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large, heavy ovenproof skillet (I used my Le Creuset casserole, but a cast iron frying pan would work just as well).  Tip in the tomatoes carefully - watch out for splatters!  Sauté until the tomatoes burst - about 5 minutes or so.  Transfer to a bowl.

Season the chicken all over with 1 tsp of salt and the pepper.  Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in the skillet over medium high heat.  Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown.  Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Add the minced shallot and cook, stirring until fragrant - about a minute.  Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the browned bits.  Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Then cut up the chicken and add that just until well heated.  Serve over cooked spaghettini with warmed, crisp bread and a fresh salad.  Ambrosia!