Chicken and Spaghetti with Peppers and Onions
Why I Love This Recipe
I found this recipe in a magazine. I tried it, but decided to change it up a bit.
It sounds like allot of work, but it is not.
Approx. 15-20 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes cooking time. Total of 40 minutes or less. I get all of the ingredients out at once and prep everything at once.
Ingredients You'll Need
10-12 garlic cloves
salt and pepper
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
2-3 springs of thyme, leaves removed
4 boneless chicken breasts (make sure to wash)
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp milk
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 grated Parmigiamo-Reggiano, diviided equally
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil, plus some extra as needed
1 red bell pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced
1 green bell pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock, you can use either home made stock or stock from a can
1-28oz. tomatoes
10-12 basil leaves, torn
1 lb. spaghetti, you can also use whole wheat pasta, I have used differnt types of pasta and they all taste good with this recipe.
2 tblsp butter
Directions
Make a paste for the chicken by placing about 8 finely chopped or grated garlic cloves into a bowl with a small pinch of salt. Mash the garlic and salt together into a paste. Add the rosemary and thyme, season the paste with ground black pepper and set aside.
Flatten the chicken breasts into cutlets by butterflying each piece. Place them into a ziploc bag and add garlic paste and toss to coat. Marinate for about 10 minutes or longer.
While the chicken is marinating, set up 3 shallow bowls, 1 with flour, salt and pepper. 2nd one beat eggs with a couple of tsp of milk. 3rd combine breadcrumbs, parsley and handful of reggiano cheese (approx. 1/4 cup).
Coat the chicken by first tossing them in flour mixture, then egg mixture and last in the breadcrumb mixture, Make sure to press on each breast to make sure everything sticks. Put all the breasts on a platter.
Place 2 large skillets over med heat, each with olive oil. Make sure to coat the whole bottom of the pan. In one pan cook the chicken. 4-5 min. on each side. If you need to, you can add more olive oil between batches.
In the other pan, cook the peppers, onion and remaining garlic until tender, 5-6 minutes stirring frequently. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, then add the chicken stock and tomatoes, breaking them apart with a spoon. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes. Once it is thick, stir in the torn basil and keep warm over low heat.
Once the sauce is about halfway done, drop the pasta into boiling water and cook al dente. You do not want to overcook the pasta. Once done, drain but do not rinse. Return pasta to the same pot and add the butter and remaining reggiano cheese. About half of the prepared tomato sauce and toss everything together.
It is very delish. I will either cut up the chicken and serve it all mxed together or you can just serve the spaghetti and the chicken on the side.
Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.
