Chicken Pasta Recipes
I have been spending days writing this blog post in my head; wanting to say something like “ho-hum, we’re all so busy, isn’t it great I’m here to give you recipes for food that’s quick to prepare yet tastes yummy?”. Because by the end of a busy day of wiping bums, working, small-talking at toddler groups and doing housework, the last thing I want to do is spend hours cooking something complicated. But due to to the fact I’ve spent all day rubbing sun cream into my baby‘s bottom and chasing her while she scoots up the garden to find Dada in his office (he was in London) (sidenote: why is Dada suddenly the favourite?). I am exhausted. I have no witty left.
So I’m afraid all you get is the rather garbled paragraph above.
This chicken pasta recipes works for me as I start preparing it at lunchtime while Elfie eats and finish it off at dinnertime. It also uses the Nigella marinating method; chuck everything in a freezer bag and wait for the magic to happen. Love Nigella and her unctuous curves.
It’s also one of the relatively few chicken pasta recipes I like to use the breast in; I find the thigh more flavourful and once you’ve spent a fiver on chicken breasts you may as well spend a couple more pounds buying the whole chicken. Plus the breast can get a little dry unless treated with kid gloves, which is why I pound it out before cooking quickly and letting it rest. This breast was leftover from the last time I cooked the amazing Cornflake chicken.
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
- Handful thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Green beans, top and tailed and chopped in half
- Enough pasta for two, cooked as per packet instructions
- 3 tbsp double cream or creme fraiche
- Salt and pepper
- Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board between two pieces of cling film and use a rolling pin to bash them out to half their depth.
- Place in a large freezer bag with the chopped garlic, thyme and olive oil. Mix up well so the chicken is all covered. Leave in the fridge for 5+ hours.
- Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions and lightly steam the green beans (I do mine in the microwave for 4 minutes).
- Griddle (or fry) the chicken on a med-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes then slice on the diagonal.
- Add the cream or creme fraiche to the pasta whilst on a very low heat and stir the green beans through. Season well.
- Serve with the chicken slices on top of the pasta.
Ohh I want to eat that right now.
I agree that chicken thighs are much tastier than the breasts. I do sometimes have what I call ‘bashed chicken’ as it cooks so quickly but is only tasty if using a marinade.
I love marinades, anything with rosemary/olive oil/thyme are my absolute favourites.
Hahahahaha. You are so naughty!! The bit with the rolling pin almost had me falling off the sofa
:-D
it’s wicked but very very funny!
I can’t get enough pasta and am always looking for new recipes so I will be trying this! Thank you for sharing x
I love pasta too but try and eat it in moderation (hard), I get very bloated. Plus my favourite sauces all involve cream… yum.
OMG, this looks delish! xx
That looks lovely, defo going on my to-do list for this week. I like the addition of a green veggie, as very often that’s lacking with my pasta dinners.
I recently asked my girlfriends, ‘how many times per week do they feel it’s acceptable to serve your children pasta?’
My favorite answer was this… ’20 times, that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner every day x 7 days per week, with one day off for good behavior…’
The green beans made it very crunchy – it was lovely.
And love your friend’s answer, hilarious. My favourite kid’s pasta meal is pasta with marmite… bad mummy.
Great recipe, i will try it together with my better half tonite. Hope i get it right! Cheers
Thank you for linking this- sounds delicious! :)