Festa Italiana!!!

I have 2 good friends, Lucy and Maryanne, that happen to be excellent cooks and ITALIAN...am I fortunate or what!!! I am constantly picking their brains for ideas and even though I am English with a bit of a French twist, I do make a mean pasta dish every once in a while.

I have wanted to try a pasta dish with balsamic vinegar forever and last night I set about experimenting. I adapted my own pasta sauce recipe and it turned out outrageously good. I rarely ever use a full lb of pasta but I did last night and there was not a strand left nor any sauce.

I am very excited to enter "Festa Italiana" hosted by Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook, 2 of my very favorite bloggers!! Oh my, I've spent hours reading their blogs and enjoyed every minute.





Linguine with Chicken and Balsamic Vinegar
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog with a little help from my "pack"

2 deboned chicken breasts
1-28 oz can of Marconi Italian Plum Peeled Tomatoes
1 lb. linguine
2 TBL butter
1/2 c. plus abt 2 TBL EVOO
5-6 cloves of fresh garlic
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1 TBL dried basil
2 TBL Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning or Pinch of oregano/marjoram/sage/rosemary
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley or 2 TBL dried parsley
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Heat butter in heavy bottomed pot. When butter is bubbly but not brown, add a splash of EVOO and saute chicken pieces until lightly browned. Remove chicken.

2. Using the heavy pot that you cooked the chicken in add 1/2 c. EVOO and turn the burner down to low. Add whole garlic cloves to EVOO and simmer on low heat until golden brown and soft. Turn the burner off and remove garlic cloves but retain pot with EVOO for Step 4.

With a fork mash garlic cloves and mix in anchovy paste until well blended.

3. Start your pasta water, abt 8 cups, and bring it to a boil. Add a shake or 2 of salt and I always add a splash of EVOO. Add linguine and cook to package directions.

4. While your pasta water is heating, drain whole tomatoes but reserve juice. Heat heavy pot with EVOO and add whole tomatoes and break apart with a fork. Add chicken, tarragon, paprika, basil, Italian Seasoning, fresh pepper and garlic/anchovy mix and about 1/2 the reserved tomato juice and simmer for about 8 minutes.

5. If you want a thinner sauce you can add the remaining tomato juice at this time.

6. At the last minute add parsley and balsamic vinegar to sauce gravy and stir.

7. Top linguine with sauce gravy and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.


All Rights Reserved 2008 © Big Black Dog