Main dish

Sun-dried Tomato and Balsamic Pasta with Greens and Chicken recipe

Name: Sun-dried Tomato and Balsamic Pasta with Greens and Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 140g dried pasta (I use Garofalo wholemeal); 2 banana shallots; 100g spinach or rocket; 4 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (I use Belazu balsamic sun-dried tomato paste); 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (omit if using Belazu); 150g-200g cooked chicken breast slices; salt and black pepper; chopped parsley (to finish)

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Wholemeal pasta, greens and slices of chicken breast coated in a shallot, balsamic and sun-dried tomato sauce.

This isn’t a sponsored post but brace yourself because I will gush about Belazu paste, Garofalo pasta and an M&S chicken joint.

Prep15m
Cook10m
Total25m

chicken pasta

Sun-dried Tomato and Balsamic Pasta with Greens and Chicken

I love a big plate of pasta but in an attempt to bring more balance to my meals, I’ve been replacing some of the carbs with protein. I roast a crown, or joint, of chicken, which lasts for days, and add it to pastas, salads and open sandwiches.

I used to cook around 100g of dry pasta per person but with chicken I reduce it to 70g.

Belazu’s balsamic sun-dried tomato paste is my new obsession. Stir it into hot pasta, scoop it up with crispy pitta bread wedges or spread it over fish and top with panko breadcrumbs. It’s a truly great shortcut ingredient.

I’ve included a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar for anyone using regular sun-dried tomato paste. Leave it out if you’re using Belazu.

The ingredients list has been kept fairly short but I often add fresh tomatoes to the sauce and top the pasta with toasted pine nuts.

Notes

I discovered M&S’s skin-on, boneless butter basted chicken joint thanks to an Ocado flash sale. Now I can’t stop buying it. It’s the most juicy and flavoursome chicken breast I’ve ever tasted.

I use Garofalo’s high fibre wholemeal pasta because it doesn’t taste like wholemeal pasta. It’s the only pasta I buy. The shape in the photo is Mafalda Corta.

Recipe

Sun-dried Tomato and Balsamic Pasta with Greens and Chicken

Prep15m
Cook10m
Total25m

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
140g dried pasta (I use Garofalo wholemeal)
2 banana shallots
100g spinach or rocket
4 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste (I use Belazu balsamic sun-dried tomato paste)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (omit if using Belazu)
150g-200g cooked chicken breast slices
salt and black pepper
chopped parsley (to finish)

Method

Fill and boil your kettle. Cook 140g of pasta according to the instructions on the packet but reduce by a minute or so.
While the pasta cooks, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a medium saucepan and place over a low to medium heat. Slice 2 shallots and add to the saucepan, stirring occasionally. Once the shallots have softened and have some colour, add 100g of spinach or rocket.
As soon as the greens have wilted, add 4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato paste. If you’re using plain sun-dried tomato paste, add 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
Just before the pasta is done, scoop out some of the starchy water with a mug. Add 2 tablespoons to the sun-dried tomato sauce to loosen it then add 150g-200g of cooked, sliced chicken breast. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Divide between bowls and top with chopped parsley, if using.