Tangy chicken and tomatoes with penne

So, there are times when the going to the grocery store is a real pain in the keister and I have to make dinner. You have those times too, right? To keep myself from making instant ramen or scrambled eggs too often, I try to keep a dozen or so things stocked in my pantry or fridge at all times. What are these staples (beyond spices and condiments) that I try to always maintain a healthy supply of in order to make meals on the fly? I'm glad you asked!

• frozen chicken (breasts or thighs)
• lemons
• canned whole and crushed tomatoes
• pasta
• garlic
• onions
• breadcrumbs
• rice
• carrots
• eggs
• bananas
• chicken bouillon (my favorite brand is called "Better than Bouillon")
• canned and dried beans
• parmesan or pecorino romano cheese

From this list, I used frozen chicken breasts, canned whole tomatoes, penne pasta, a lemon, garlic, an onion, and pecorino romano cheese for today's recipe. I was a little nervous about what the end result would be when I started because I was completely winging it (not even a base recipe for inspiration!). 

I'll save you the suspense and tell you now that this is now one of my "keeper" recipes--one of those few recipes that I'll actually want to repeat (I'm a "one night stand" kinda girl when it comes to most savory recipes). It's tangy from the tomatoes and lemon juice (which you can skip or substitute for using red wine vinegar), salty from the cheese and olives (another optional ingredient), and a little sweet from a dash of sugar (or honey). I would have added crushed red pepper to the dish, but I was sharing with someone who isn't too keen on spicy food (madness, right?). 

I didn't do process photos this time. I was too busy cooking this at the same time I was cooking a different dinner for my mom, who had to get a tooth extracted and wasn't able to eat solid food for a few days. The steps are pretty simple though, so I don't think you'll need any pictures. My only real advice is to make sure to smash the tomatoes a bit against the side of the pot and to let the sauce cook down for 15-20 minutes or so. If you have questions, though, please leave them in the comments! It's thinner than marinara, but there's tons of flavor. 

(I'm still playing around with the format for these recipes, so I'm sorry if their lack of uniformity is annoying. Let me know if there's a particular format you like, y'all!)

Tangy chicken and tomatoes with penne

(serves 3)

Dice 1 onion and mince 2 cloves garlic. Chop 3 large chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. 

Over medium-high heat, pour 3 tbsp olive oil into a large pot. When oil is heated, carefully tip the chicken and diced onion into the pot. Cook until the onion is translucent and the chicken is mostly cooked through, about 5 minutes, stirring to keep the chicken from sticking to the pot. Stir in garlic and let it cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Chop up 1 tbsp fresh sage and 3 tbsp parsley and add to the pot, along with 1 tsp dried oregano (you could substitute for these using rosemary, thyme, tarragon, basil, etc.). Pour in 1 28oz can of whole peeled (or diced) tomatoes, juice and all. Stir the tomatoes in, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the bit of chicken that might by stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the juice of half a lemon, 1-2 tbsp sugar (or honey), 3 tbsp pecorino romano cheese, and (optionally) 2 tbsp olive tapenade or chopped olives.

Lower the stovetop temperature to medium and let the tomato sauce thicken a bit, using a spoon to smash the tomatoes against the side of the pot. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to stir the sauce every couple minutes, so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. If you omitted the olives (and/or the cheese) check to see if you need to add a little more salt to the sauce. While the sauce cooks, cook 16oz penne rigate (or farfalle or orecchiette) according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and place servings of pasta on dinner plates. When the sauce is thickened (but not to the level of marinara sauce) spoon it out over the pasta. Serve immediately, with additional pecorino or parmesan on the side (but, for once, I didn't need it).

Ingredient list

16oz (1 pound) penne pasta

3 large chicken breasts

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp olive oil

fresh and/or dried herbs (I used 1 tbsp fresh sage, 1 tsp dried oregano, and 3 tbsp fresh parsley)

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes

juice of half a lemon

3 tbsp pecorino romano (or parmesan) cheese

salt, pepper, sugar