Recipe | Michelle’s Capri Pasta with Chicken

Last night I posted a picture of the chicken & pasta dish I prepared for our Siesta Summer Bible Study group on Twitter. In the workbook, Kelly Minter provided a recipe for something called “Capri’s Chicken” which sounded yummy with summer veggies like grape/cherry tomatoes and summer squash and italian sausage. I, however, am not wild about italian sausage.

So… I decided to make a slightly different version of this recipe that better suits my preference of CHICKEN! I’ve always cooked to sight, taste, touch and smell so I improvised with the following ingredients:

(2) 14 oz cans of Hunts Stewed Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic, (1) 2lb. package of boneless skinless chicken breast cut into nugget sized chunks, (1) Fresh Zucchini, peeled and sliced, (1) Fresh Squash, peeled and sliced, (1) cup olive oil (EVOO as Rachel Ray would say), (1) cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing Fat Free, (1) Box Farfalle (bowtie) pasta.

Step One: In a small baking dish combine your your chicken, sliced squash and zucchini. Cover these with the olive oil and italian dressing. Add a little more if needed to cover the veggies and chicken well. Add seasonings to taste. I add garlic salt, oregano and a garlic pepper grinder seasoning sold by McCormick Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degress F. Then, turn your oven on hi broil for five minutes to really cook the vegetables well.

2. While the chicken is in the oven place your canned tomatoes in a large saucepan on the stove. Cook them on high heat until they begin to boil and reduce heat to low. I add garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer until chicken is ready.

3. Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain.

4. When chicken and veggies are complete (chicken cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F or higher) add it along with the naturally occurring sauce in the pan to the simmering tomatoes and mix well. Allow to simmer until pasta is ready.

5. Serve chicken and veggie sauce over bowtie pasta. Makes approximately 5-6 servings. Prep Time @ 45 minutes.

TIP: This sauce would also be a great dish to prepare in advance and then throw in your Crockpot the morning before your meal and allow to simmer all day marrying those delicious spicy flavors. And now, to quote the queen of the kitchen, Julia Child, “Bon Appetit!”