This is an incredibly easy but really tasty pasta recipe. It started over at Epicurious, but my version involves a little less pasta and a lot more chicken and veggies (or fruit and greens, technically, I suppose). You can roast the tomatoes while you're doing other things earlier in the day, then get them heated up again while you cook the pasta and grill the chicken. When you add the 12 ounces of arugula to the pot and put your measly little 6 ounces of pasta on top, you will most likely think something is horribly wrong with the proportions. It does indeed look a bit ridiculous at first, but as the arugula wilts down when you toss the ingredients together, suddenly things come together and you end up with a well-balanced dish.
Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Arugula, Chicken, and Feta
4 pounds grape tomatoes
1 - 4 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
coarse sea salt
olive oil
6 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
6 ounces penne pasta
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat an oven to 475°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with pepper flakes, garlic, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a splash of olive oil (I use about a teaspoon per baking sheet, but feel free to use more if you're an olive oil fan) and spread the tomatoes out into a single layer. Roast until starting to wrinkle and brown in spots. There should be some delicious juices accumulating on the parchment at this point, too.
This step can be done ahead. When you're ready to complete the dish, place the tomatoes (and accumulated juices) in the bottom of a large pot, then add the chopped grilled chicken. Place the pot over medium heat until the tomato juices start to simmer slightly. Reduce heat to low, then add the arugula to the pot but do not stir, and cover with a lid. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Add the pasta to the other ingredients. Don't worry about draining too thoroughly, as a little bit of pasta water will just help build the sauce. Crumble the feta into the pot, then begin stirring all ingredients together. Continue to stir until the arugula is wilted and all ingredients are well combined.
Serves 6.
Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Arugula, Chicken, and Feta
4 pounds grape tomatoes
1 - 4 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely minced
coarse sea salt
olive oil
6 grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
6 ounces penne pasta
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat an oven to 475°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with pepper flakes, garlic, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a splash of olive oil (I use about a teaspoon per baking sheet, but feel free to use more if you're an olive oil fan) and spread the tomatoes out into a single layer. Roast until starting to wrinkle and brown in spots. There should be some delicious juices accumulating on the parchment at this point, too.
This step can be done ahead. When you're ready to complete the dish, place the tomatoes (and accumulated juices) in the bottom of a large pot, then add the chopped grilled chicken. Place the pot over medium heat until the tomato juices start to simmer slightly. Reduce heat to low, then add the arugula to the pot but do not stir, and cover with a lid. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Add the pasta to the other ingredients. Don't worry about draining too thoroughly, as a little bit of pasta water will just help build the sauce. Crumble the feta into the pot, then begin stirring all ingredients together. Continue to stir until the arugula is wilted and all ingredients are well combined.Serves 6.
