No Fail Yummy Pasta

Tomorrow at work, we are having a potluck lunch. I was very excited when I heard about this a few weeks ago, because I love having a reason to make something and also because I'm new in my office, it's a good chance to get to know people and build my reputation as the girl that brings awesome things to potlucks.

When I was asked what I wanted to bring, I immediately said some kind of baked pasta dish. This is my favourite food group on the planet. I was debating what to make when I remembered good old Giada de Laurentis. Who doesn't love Giada? Okay, I kind of hate her too. How does she eat pasta and look like that? I still love her because she makes amazing food with fresh ingredients.

A few years ago, I discovered this recipe of hers that appealed to me because I'm pretty sure it's geared towards kids and I have the palate of a 7 year old. Anyways, it's super simple to make and pretty much never fails! I've made it several times and everyone has loved it. I think it's great because the chicken adds protein so it's  more of a balanced meal. Serve with a salad and your good to go! Oh, and this recipe makes 4 servings. Do yourself a favour and double it, because then you'll have some lunches for the week if your husband doesn't eat the leftovers while you're in the shower. I will be making this dish tonight to bring to work tomorrow. I have no doubt it will be devoured, that's the beauty of Giada's recipes!

Italian Baked Chicken Pastina

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta, I like whole wheat macaroni)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (use reduced fat if you like)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

 Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy, pasta lovers!

xoxo,

T