Last night we watched State of Origin football. (Go Queensland!) Man of the house requested 'chicken and spaghetti' for footy food. We haven't had this dish for a while as I've been in a 'meatball phase'. Obviously I'd forgotten how good this is. I'll be making it more regularly from now on. My one tip for this dish is to use chicken pieces with bones in. Although it makes the eating a bit more messy, it makes the sauce so much more flavoursome and the chicken will be less expensive to buy in the supermarket. And it's all about the flavour after all.
What you'll need
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or minced
2kg chicken pieces - I used 'lovely legs' for this, with skin and bone in, but thigh with skin and bone in is great too
1 tsp each of dried rosemary, oregano and basil
500g tomato puree
400g jar pasta sauce, I used basil. You can substitute 400g canned, chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil
500g dried pasta - I used spaghetti, but you could use whatever you like
1 cup grated cheese - I used Parmesan, but whatever you have is fine.
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil - this is optional, but I love it.
*This dish will serve four large serves of pasta and sauce, with leftovers for lunch for two the next day.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and starting to colour. Add chicken pieces and stir frequently, browning all over, for approximately 5 minutes.
Add herbs, tomatoes and water. Stir to combine.
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or minced
2kg chicken pieces - I used 'lovely legs' for this, with skin and bone in, but thigh with skin and bone in is great too
1 tsp each of dried rosemary, oregano and basil
500g tomato puree
400g jar pasta sauce, I used basil. You can substitute 400g canned, chopped tomatoes
1 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil
500g dried pasta - I used spaghetti, but you could use whatever you like
1 cup grated cheese - I used Parmesan, but whatever you have is fine.
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil - this is optional, but I love it.
*This dish will serve four large serves of pasta and sauce, with leftovers for lunch for two the next day.
What to do
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and starting to colour. Add chicken pieces and stir frequently, browning all over, for approximately 5 minutes.
Add herbs, tomatoes and water. Stir to combine.
Bring to a rapid simmer, then put the lid on and reduce heat to low.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1.5 - 2 hours, or until chicken is peeling away from the bone and the sauce is thickened. Check the seasoning towards the end of the cooking, and add salt and pepper if necessary (the tomatoes will have added salt already).
If the sauce is too thin for you, remove the lid and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes to reduce slightly. If it is too think, add some more water.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and serve pasta onto plates. Spoon sauce over the top. I allowed two pieces of chicken per plate.
Sprinkle with grated cheese and fresh herbs and eat it up.
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