Scrumptious Pasta

Jessica came over last night to visit, play with babies, and eat dinner. Always such a nice visit with her. I made Giada De Laurentiis' Roman-Style Fettuccine with Chicken. It is Mike's new favourite dinner - we've eaten it about 5 times in the past 3 weeks! It doesn't take that long to make, and makes a big batch so you can have leftovers (and they are just as good as day 1!). It was a bit silly to make this dinner last night b/c we have so many leftovers in the fridge, but I had the prosciutto and the other remaining ingredients, and didn't want Jess to eat pizza leftovers. I'm SO glad I did make it, because I just ate some for lunch and it was tasty. I've tweaked the recipe some, to make just enough for the 4 of us with a few leftovers...and I omitted the capers. I follow the directions and timings exactly and it has turned out great every time. Let me know if you make this and what you think.

Roman-Style Fettuccine with Chicken - Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced (thinly)
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced (thinly)
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped (it is ok if you have more or less than 3 oz)
2 small garlic cloves, use garlic press
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or a bit more, or less...)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds fettucine (or similar noodles, whatever you like really)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skilled over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt & pepper. Cook the chicken until brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from teh pan and set aside.

2. Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice, wine, thyme, and oregano. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, ~30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

4. REmove the chicken and let it cool slightly on a cutting board. Using two forks, gently shred the chicken (Mike swears that this step makes the chicken better!) Return the chicken to the pan. Stir in the parsley

5. To serve, spoon the pasta into serving dishes and top with the chicken mixture.

ENJOY!