Spaghetti with chicken, garlic and cumin

Mr. G and I finally moved in together and for our first dinner together in our new home, I made spaghetti with chicken, garlic and cumin. My sister gave me this recipe awhile ago and this is the second time I made it. The original recipe doesn't include chicken, but we needed some protein so I added some chicken breast.

I love this dish, it's so easy to make! I love Italian and Indian food, and this recipe combines my two favorites. Pasta with Indian spices...it's so good! Here's the recipe.

Spaghetti with Chicken, Garlic and Cumin
adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2002

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 first-course servings

2 chicken breast
1/4 cup olive oil (see note)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (see note)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (see note)
12 ounces spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper

1. Season chicken breast with salt and black pepper. Pan fry chicken breast on both sides until they are cooked. Allow the breasts to rest for 5 minutes, then cut into slices.

2. Mix first olive oil, cilantro, garlic, cumin, and red pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain spaghetti, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add oil mixture and toss over medium heat to coat, about 1 minute, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Note:

• *The original recipe does not include chicken.
  
• *The original recipe uses 1/2 cup of olive oil, I thought 1/4 cup was more than enough.
  
• *The original recipe uses parsley, I love cilantro, so I substituted it.