Chicken and pasta after a day of cleaning

Chicken Pasta Italiano
America’s Quick Cuisine Copyright 2004

¼ pound sliced bacon, chopped I used a little bit less
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼-inch wide strips I used more
4 medium-size tomatoes, seeded and chopped
½ cup dry sherry or regular-strength chicken broth I used the chicken broth
1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning or ¾ teaspoon each dry basil, dry oregano, dry thyme, and dry marjoram
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
6 ounces dry spaghetti I used more and I used Dreamfields
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a wide frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp. Lift out, drain, and set aside. Discard all but two tablespoons of the drippings.
2. Add garlic and chicken to drippings in pan. Cook over high heat stirring, until meat is lightly browned (about 3 minutes). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
3. Add tomatoes, sherry, herb seasoning, and red pepper to the pan; boil over high heat until mixture is thickened (7 to 10 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, in a 4 to 5-quart pan, cook spaghetti in 2 quarts boiling water just until al dente (10 to 12 minutes); or cook according to package directions.
5. Return chicken to tomato mixture; stir until heated through. Drain spaghetti and arrange on a warm platter. Spoon chicken mixture over pasta and sprinkle with bacon. I added the bacon to the tomato mixture instead of sprinkling it on top. Offer cheese to add to taste. I sprinkled it all on top.

Makes 3 servings.
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While I was making this, I was thinking this might be a disappointment. Once the tomatoes broke down, I started to have hope. It actually turned out pretty well. It was flavorful but not too heavy. Bacon always makes food taste better. There were no leftovers.

I spent the entire day cleaning my kitchen yesterday - top to bottom, inside and out. Now I don't want to cook in it! I filled the garbage can up about three times. Wow. It wasn't all food - I also tossed plastic containters, shoddy baking pans that have long been replaced, old cat food that got pushed to the back of the cupboard, etc. I still can't figure out how I filled up so many trash bags. On one hand, it felt good to clear things out, but on the other hand, I feel incredibly guilty about throwing all that stuff in a landfill. But what's done is done.

Question of the Day: How often do you give your kitchen a thorough cleaning?