HEALTHY CHICKEN PASTA
Ingredients
- 1-2 skinless chicken breasts
- bones removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- plus extra for rubbing
- 2 garlic cloves
- finely chopped
- pinch chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 300g/10½oz tomato passata
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g/7oz wholewheat penne pasta
- 200g/7oz broccoli
- sliced into bite-sized chunks
- 125g/4½oz baby spinach
- washed (optional)
- ½ bunch basil
- leaves picked (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp finely grated parmesan (optional)
Directions
- Carefully slice the breast almost in half horizontally
- not quite cutting through to the other edge. Keep that edge intact and open up the breast like you are opening up a book. This will make the meat a uniform thickness to ensure a quick and even cooking.
- Heat a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the olive oil to the pan. Once warm
- add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for two minutes
- then stir in the tomato purée and cook for two more minutes. Add the passata to the pan
- season with pepper
- stir to mix well and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Leave to simmer gently while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil
- add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions. Add the broccoli three minutes before the end of cooking. Drain thoroughly.
- Meanwhile heat a griddle pan over a high heat until smoking. Rub the chicken with a little oil and season with a tiny bit of salt and pepper then griddle for 3-5 minutes on each side. Set aside to rest for five minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the pan with the tomato sauce (if the sauce has thickened too much while simmering then add a little hot water from the pasta). Stir to mix well and then add the cooked and sliced griddled chicken
- spinach and the picked basil leaves (if using). Season again with plenty of black pepper and allow the spinach and basil to wilt. Sprinkle with parmesan
- if using
- and serve.

