Chicken pasta recipies with homegrown vegetables

I’m still trying to pull things out of the freezer and pantry to prepare for this seasons bounty. This chicken Pasta dinner was something I could make and divide up to use on nights when there is no time to cook.

Seek and Ye Shall Find

Cast of characters:

Chicken breast and bell peppers that I pulled from the freezer. I can always find something worth something in one of those freezers!

Home canned tomato basil with garlic and cayanne flakes and herbs

Homegrown onions and garlic. Home canned tomato basil sauce with garlic, herbs, and cayenne flakes. Homegrown fennel microgreens.

Now just humor me for a moment while I expound on the sauce. Every single ingredient in that sauce except the lemon juice I use for canning purposes is grown in my gardens. Every vegetable and every herb. And even though I call it tomato basil sauce. there are about 4 o 5 different herbs in there depending on the year and what sort of mood I’m in when I make it.

Thank you very much for letting me get that off my chest.

And the Store Purchased Outlaws . . .

EVOO

~ ~

Parmesan, Fresh Mozzarella, and Rotini Pasta

Because I love Italian flavors, these things are pretty much a staple in my house. Some people have chips . . . . . . I have cheese and pasta. Sorry . . . . . I can’t help myself.

Pour a little EVOO into a skillet, and cook the cubed chicken breast till just done. Don’t over do it. Season with salt and pepper. When it’s done, remove it from the skillet and set it aside.

Then toss in your bell peppers and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes and add the garlic toward the end of that time so it doesn’t burn.

Then pop the lid on that homemade pasta sauce and pour it in the skillet over the vegetables. You don’t even have to be nice about it . . . just dump it in! This is angry sauce after all people . . . there’s cayenne in there!

Add the chicken back to the skillet along with cubed fresh mozzarella. Heat till the chicken is heated through and the mozzarella is just started to melt and get gooey without being totally melted.

Of course while all this was going on you were multitasking with the pasta. So now you can top the pasta with the sauce, a little shaved parm, and some of those amazing, power house, nutrient dense fennel microgreens!

Chicken and Tomato Basil Pasta

Ingredients: Makes about 6 average sized servings.

Chicken breast 1 – 2 depending on the size cut into bite sized pieces
1 -2 pint jars tomato basil sauce (or 1 jar store pasta sauce)
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
3 cloves garlic or to your own personal taste.
1 small or 1/2 large onion chopped
1 medium bell pepper chopped
1 box of Rotini or the pasta of your choice
shaved Parmesan for topping
Fresh fennel microgreens for topping
EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. I always save a little pasta water in case I want to add it to the sauce for more moisture. Sometimes I use it and sometimes I don’t.

Sauté and season the chicken breast in EVOO till just done. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Sauté and season the onion and bell pepper in skillet for about 5 minutes and add garlic toward the end of that cooking time.

Pour the tomato basil sauce into skillet and heat through, add chicken, and mozzarella cheese, Cook till chicken in heated through and cheese is just beginning to melt but not totally melted.

Top the pasta with sauce, shaved parmesan, and fennel micros.