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.

An Easy Tomato Cream Pasta with only 10 Ingredients

Creamy tomato sauces are a weakness of mine. I love the silkiness that comes from the cheese and cream, and indulge in the slight acidity that comes from the tomatoes. As I’ve already admitted, my husband loves himself some great saucy noodles, so when I found this recipe, I had to give it a shot.

There’s no way a recipe for something so good should be so easy, right?

Wrong.

I have to say: this is a simple, fast, delicious recipe that can be made in the middle of the week, and leave you plenty of time for relaxing and patting your full belly. My adaptation allows for large pieces of tomato to mix in with the sauce, allowing for extra bursts of flavor throughout the meal. I hope you like it as much as we did.

Easy Tomato Cream Pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil of your choice

2 tablespoons butter

½ medium onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (15 ounce each) crushed or cubed tomatoes

 Salt and pepper, to taste

 Dash of sugar

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 pound pasta of your choice

Instructions

• Cook the pasta of your choice according to package directions. Drain the noodles, but make sure that you reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for later. 

• In a large pan, heat your butter and oil over a medium heat.

• Once the butter has begun to melt, add the diced onions and garlic. Sautee them for a minute or so, letting them become translucent they will be very aromatic.

 

Watch to keep your garlic from overcooking and burning.

• Pour in the tomatoes and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir the ingredients every few minutes or so to keep them from sticking.

 

I chose diced tomatoes.

• Lower the heat to lowest setting and stir in cream.

• Add the Parmesan cheese, and check the seasonings to make sure the flavor is still where you want it. If you feel the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved water.

 

If you don't like too much cheese, you can always hold off. I couldn't. 

• Stir in pasta and and serve immediately. We chose to serve ours with a piece of grilled chicken breast and my garlic knots. It was a feast.