This quickie pasta tosses together the colours of the Italian flag with green basil, red cherry tomatoes and an essential sprinkling of white parmesan. You could stop there and be onto a winner, but we've added herby chicken to be a little extra.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil in preparation for step 3. Cut chicken into 3cm pieces. Place in a bowl with Italian Kitchen herbs, salt and pepper and mix to coat.
Peel and thinly slice eschalot. Peel and crush garlic. Pick basil leaves from their stems. Thinly slice cucumber into rounds. Rinse and separate lettuce leaves.
Once water is boiling, add pasta to saucepan and cook for 10–12 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 180ml (3⁄4 cup) pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, continue with step 4.
Heat ½ the oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3–4 minutes or until golden brown and almost cooked through. Remove from pan.
Add eschalot, garlic and tomatoes to pan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, squashing tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release their juices, for 5–6 minutes or until softened. Return chicken to pan with reserved pasta water, pasta, basil leaves and ½ the parmesan. Stir for 1–2 minutes or until chicken has warmed through and pasta is well coated in sauce.
Place lettuce in a bowl with cucumber, remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Divide pasta between bowls and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Serve with salad.