Although I have a husband who really isn't that fond of pasta, I do cook it from time to time. He knows I love pasta and he doesn't mind me feeding my craving for it every now and then! He eats it too, even if he doesn't really like it all that much.
He is from the old school that eats what is put in front of him. And to be honest, even if it isn't his favorite he will be the first one to tell you that when I cook it, its not half bad and quite tolerable!
This is one of my favorite kinds of meals, an all in one dinner for two, with only a very few ingredients.
Pasta, sauce and protein cooking all in the same pan on top of the stove. I love cooking pasta this way. It doesn't get over cooked, staying al dente, and the pasta absorbs even more of the flavor from the sauce . . . it gets right in there . . .
I created this to use up leftover cooked chicken. It is semi-based on another recipe I saw for something similar here.
In looking at her recipe I thought to myself, why can't I use already cooked chicken cubed, instead of cutting up chicken breasts and browning them in the pan.
Why indeed? Although if you don't have leftover roast chicken use fresh by all means. For this recipe you could use two small chicken breast fillets. Just cut it up and cook it in the vinaigrette dressing as per the recipe, until the juices run clear.
You know about five years ago now, I came down with a bad case of food poisoning. I was so sick. That day I had eaten leftover pizza for breakfast and for dinner, Chicken Parmesan. Oh boy . . . I thought I would never be able to eat either one again in a very long time!
I will admit that I still feel a bit queasy when I am faced with Chicken Parmesan, with the breading and all . . . but this was quite good. There was no breading on the chicken, just plain roasted chicken.
Oh, I love breaded chicken . . . but not with marinara sauce and cheese . . . not yet anyways . . .
And there is plenty of cheese in this . . . look at that ooze . . .
So, so, so good . . .
Interestingly enough, I wasn't put off pizza for very long. Thank goodness! Its one of my favorite food groups!
Since then I have been extremely pedantic about leftovers. I was actually in bed for four days. I never want to be that sick again. I remember thinking that death would actually be welcome. You know you are really sick when death is welcome!
Anyways, not to put you off your food or anything . . . sorry if I have!! I have a rule of thumb now. Food that has been made in house, I have a 3 day rule as far as leftovers go. I don't keep any after 3 days.
And anything takeaway . . . I get rid of the leftovers on the day. I don't keep them at all.
I know it might seem a bit wasteful, but I never buy more than we can feasibly eat at once. (I am so not a Gilmore Girl.) You know . . . you never know how long the toppings in a Pizza place have been sitting around waiting to be used on pizzas, or even how clean the person is that is making them. That's why I don't like to see the people who cook my food in a restaurant. And also why I am really picky at Pot Lucks, unless I know exactly who has cooked what.
Yield: 2 - 3
Author: Marie Rayner
Chicken & Parm Pasta Skillet
An all in one skillet meal which only uses a few ingredients and makes great use of leftover cooked poultry. This can easily be doubled.ingredients:
- 1 TBS Italian Vinaigrette style salad dressing
- 150g cooked chicken, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups dry rigatoni pasta tubes (8 ounces)
- 340g good marinara sauce (1 1/2 cups)
- 340ml water (12 ounces)
- 90g grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
- 60g grated mozzarella/cheddar mix cheese (1/2 cup)
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley or basil to garnish
instructions:
How to cook Chicken & Parm Pasta Skillet
- Heat the Italian vinaigrette dressing in a medium skillet with a lid. Add the chicken. Cook and stir until the chicken begins to absorb the dressing. Pour the water and marinara sauce over top. Stir in the pasta, bring to the boil. Stir again, then reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking. At the end of that time the pasta should be al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Scatter both cheeses over top. Cover and allow to melt. Sprinkle with the parsley/basil and serve immediately.
Hope I haven't put you off your dinner. I didn't mean to, just being honest! In any case, this was really tasty!
Up tomorrow: Ritz Cracker Pie
