Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This was a really simple meal that came together quickly. I really liked it because it didn't have too much tomato (too much tomato, especially in a sauce, tends to give me bad heartburn), it had a nice crusty top, and the parsley made it taste so fresh. 

photo by food network

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

from Giada de Laurentiis

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish (I used a casserole dish). In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Shrimp Pasta

This was a delicious, fun, quick, and easy recipe to make on a weeknight. I used whole wheat pasta I had on hand. I think I might modify this sometime as a shrimp scampi by omitting the tomatoes and adding more garlic and tons of lemons. Also, this could easily feed a crowd. Like today, the unofficial holiday, Super Bowl Sunday.

PS - The Pioneer Woman rules.

Shrimp Pasta
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

1/2 cups olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole 14.5 oz cans diced or whole tomatoes
1/2 cups white wine
2 lbs jumbo or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parlsey, minced
1 lb linguine, uncooked
red pepper flakes, to taste

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish.

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.