Penne with Chicken & Asparagus

This is my favourite weekday meal to cook because it is so quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
400g penne pasta
1 jar (400g) tomato pasta sauce
500g chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut into 4 cm lengths
2 tablespoon chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)

Method

1. Place cherry tomatoes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, set aside. 
2. Cook the penne in a large saucepan of lightly salted water according to the packet instructions or until al dente. Drain well and return to pan.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large non stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook stirring for a further 2-3 minutes or until chicken is golden and asparagus is bright green and tender crisp
4. Add the chicken mixture and tomatoes to the pan with the penne, toss to combine, then add the pasta sauce and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired.