I know there have been a lot of recipes posted on here lately but we’ve gotten into a bit of a food rut and have just been sick of the usual meals we’ve been eating. We have this great big kitchen, a garden with lots of yummy stuff in it and somehow just haven’t been inspired to cook. Part of the problem is that it often takes a while and our evenings already have some requirements built in.

Stefan gets home between 6:30 and 7 pm most nights. I feed the dog at about 6:30 and then at 7 she is ready to go for a walk. Thirty minutes later we arrive home and then begins the question of what do we do for dinner. We’ve had the same staple meals for a few years now and with so many recipes available online, it’s hard to wade through them all to find something you want to try. So lately I’ve begun deciding ahead of time what we’ll be having and try to find a way to do most of the prep work before Stefan gets home so that after the walk, only about 15-30 minutes of cooking remains.

Last night we tried a new recipe which is very likely to become a usual in our house. As I often do, I found the recipe on allrecipes.com for penne arrabiata with pan-friend chicken. While it sounded pretty good from the start and got excellent reviews, I wasn’t thrilled about having breaded chicken breasts in the pasta dish. So I stuck them in the broiler instead and it turned our really great.

So here’s my version of the recipe, based on Brooklyn Girl’s Penne Arrabiata.

Penne Arrabiata

Serving size: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 28 ounce fresh diced tomatoes (or canned will also do)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) package dried penne pasta
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound (approx. 4) chicken breasts

Directions

1. Put chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and sprinkle both sides with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Broil for approximately 20 minutes (10 on each side) or until no longer pink inside.
   
2. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
4. Remove chicken from oven and cut into slices. Toss the chicken slices into the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve with lots of grated Parmesan cheese.