Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Whole wheat pasta was on a really good sale at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I'd never tried whole wheat pasta before, but had always been a little curious. When figuring out what to do with it, I came across a Rachael Ray recipe that seemed like it had some good concepts. Since I'm always on the lookout for quick, delicious meals, I decided to run with this one.

In the end, we both loved it. I couldn't taste a whole lot of difference between the wheat pasta and regular white pasta, except that the texture was a little bit different. I'd absolutely make this again, and try playing around with the recipe even more next time.


Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne
Loosely based on this Rachael Ray recipe
Serves 4-6
Cook & Prep time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and brown.

Add onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions get soft.

Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and let reduce for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes.

Toss with the pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

3 comments:

Joanne said...

From a veteran whole wheat pasta-eater to a newbie - I welcome you into our secret society. Lol. Seriously though whole wheat pastas can be really good or really mediocre, depending on the brand. I'm glad you had a good first experience! This pasta looks delicious.

Deborah said...

I love most whole wheat pasta. They do tend to have a bit of a different texture, but I have found that if you cook it a little longer than it says on the box, it turns out wonderful. This recipe sounds delicious!

Elizabeth said...

WOW! Your recipe and picture literally made my mouth water!