Chicken pomodoro

Can we chat about tomatoes for a second? I am currently obsessed with those mini multi-colored ones that are cropping up everywhere. They're sweet and all sorts of beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and of course, red. I've been using them in everything from a simple cucumber/tomato salad to this dish right here.

This chicken pomodoro recipe is golden brown chicken breasts cooked in a homemade tomato sauce served with delicious topping like ricotta cheese and fresh basil. It's fresh and savory, and a great go to dish for everyday luxury this summer.

Here's a tip, patience when cooking chicken is definitely needed especially if yours are really thick like mine were. I like to pound them down a bit by placing them in a gallon ziplock bag and using something heavy to pound away. Also, you don't need a meat pounder to get it done! Use the back of a wooden spoon or a heavy pan, instead. Just watch out for your fingers!

3 cups dried medium shell pasta
1 large chicken breast
1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup boxed diced tomatoes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
To serve: fresh basil and ricotta cheese

Start by cooking your pasta according to the package’s instructions. Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain and set the pasta aside.

To prepare the chicken, pound the chicken breast down a bit and then cut it in half. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breast with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Heat a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to coat the base of the pan. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden and mostly cooked through. This can take some time depending on the thickness of your chicken, so you can definitely cut through one of the chicken breasts to check for doneness. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set them aside on a plate. Keep the pan on the heat.

Reduce the heat to low. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, the sliced onion, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sauté until the onions are softened. Stir in the diced tomatoes and the reserved pasta water.

Add the chicken (and any juices) back into the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. The chicken won’t be submerged in the sauce, so you may need to flip it once. If the liquid reduces before the chicken is cooked, feel free to add more water or diced tomatoes, but it should reduce for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Add the halved cherry tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute more to warm them through.

Serve each chicken breast with a generous scoop of pasta and the sauce. Top each serving with fresh basil and spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.

Serves 2

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