Chicken Fra Diavolo... Something Spicy this Way Comes

It’s hot out. Summer is definitely on its way, and with that, a lot of light, cool dishes are flooding the Internet.

This is not one of those dishes. While light, chicken fra diavolo has a kick that leaves your brow beaded in the best way. Don’t think this needs that much heat? Cut the amount of pepper flakes of by half. This is a fun, fast and easy way to spice up dinner tonight. 

I took this recipe and modified it for chicken broth and used dry spices. As nice as fresh herbs are, I don’t have a green thumb, and cannot always keep them on hand. Dry spices are easier to work with at times. Of course, if you have the fresh stuff, by all means, triple the amount of herbs this recipe calls for and enjoy.

Chicken fra Diavolo

8 ounces pasta of your choice (I used farfalle)
½ medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons cooking oil of your choice, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
 3 garlic cloves, minced (I opted to leave my garlic whole) 
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (this can be reduced or increased by halves, depending on your preference)
1 lb boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
¼ teaspoon dried Italian parsley
¼ teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

• Begin with your pasta. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
• As your pasta cooks, sauté the onions in two tablespoons of olive oil for approximately 3-4 minutes. Do so in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, as this will be your main cooking platter for use. 

• Stir in your garlic and pepper flakes. Allow the mixture to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the onions become translucent. Make sure your kitchen is well circulated; it will become spicy!  Once the mix has cooked, set it aside, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet.

• Add the chicken pieces to the pan, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Allow the chicken to sauté until it is no longer pink. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

• Add the chicken broth to the skillet and make sure to scrape the bottom of your skillet.
• Add the onion mixture back to the skillet, and add the tomatoes with their juices.  Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes.

• Add your dried herbs. Season with more salt, if necessary.
• Finally, combine the drained pasta to the tomato mixture. Stir well and cook for another minute or two to bring the pasta up to temperature and serve.