Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco

I decided to dabble around with mixing our cider in with pasta...and the drum roll please...I loved it!  In fact, it really enhanced the flavor very nicely -I thought it blended well with the chicken broth!  I'm not an everyday kind of pasta lover, but penne has just the right amount of body to it to make it a heartier meal.  This recipe doesn't have the heavy Alfredo base, it was just light and nice.  I think you'll enjoy it.  Really try and get fresh basil if you can.  I went and bought a plant to put in my kitchen window, cuz I love it so much in my cooking!
So here's the recipe:
Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups grape tomatoes
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup apple cider (I used Classic Sweet - Dry would be really good too!)
1/2 tsp. (each) of salt and pepper
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, sliced in small strips; or 1 Tbl. dried
1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups diced, grilled, chicken breasts
red pepper flakes to taste
In a large, deep skillet pour in 2 tsp. olive oil and stir fry the tomatoes.  Once they begin to burst, stir in the minced garlic and stir 1 minute more until it becomes fragrant.  Remove from the heat and chop the tomatoes coarsely.  In the same skillet, add the pasta, broth, cider, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer until the pasta is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid; approximately 10 minutes.  Meanwhile chop the basil and stir it in with the pasta along with the Parmesan cheese.  Add the grilled chicken.  Season with salt and pepper and toss in some red pepper flakes to your liking.  I always love to add a bit of pizazz- just enough to cause some interest!  Then sit down with your favorite crunchy french bread and a great green salad. Now, that's what I call a great meal!