Next: chicken enchiladas verde revisited
Back to main
baked chicken, broccoli, and ziti
Baked ziti is an Itaian-American mainstay, but it’s hard to find a good version of it online, especially one that includes a little protein and green vegetable. So I had to make it up myself, using the pretty spare description on the back of the box as a skeleton.
My version uses four different cheeses, including Italian fontina, which is a good melting cheese, and creamy ricotta.
The biggest problem of “cooked-twice” pasta and chicken dishes is that they often come out overdone. The pasta is mushy, the chicken is dry. The answer, then, is to undercook them a little at first, taking a couple minutes off the pasta’s time and only browning the chicken, not cooking it through (which is also why the pieces are so large.) As an alternative, you could substitute breast meat for thighs, which are almost impossible to dry out. But if you follow my advice, you won’t have that problem.
This is comfort food at its best, warm and rich and filling. Whether it’s a Sunday family sit-down dinner, a Tuesday night quick dinner, or a potluck dinner, this will fill the bill.
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-1/2” inch cubes
1 lb ziti
2 crowns broccoli, chopped, stems removed
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ lb Italian fontina, cubed
1 16 oz tub ricotta cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, except remove it from the heat and drain about 2 minutes before the normal ending time. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Let the oil heat for 2 minutes and then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute the onions until just translucent and add the tomato paste. Cook the paste and onions together for two minutes, add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water, and the herbs and reduce heat to low. Simmer until needed.
In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, but don’t crowd the pan. Brown on one side, about three minutes, until golden-brown then turn and brown on the other side. Don’t cook them all the way through or they’ll be tough and dry in the end. Repeat with another Tbsp of oil and the rest of the chicken, if necessary.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, broccoli, pasta, sauce, ricotta, fontina, and half of the mozzarella and parmesan. Spread the mixture into a large roasting pan and cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and the parsley and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Notes:
If you’re using frozen broccoli, just defrost it first. Fresh broccoli can be added raw.
COMMENTS
-->Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Comments are being moderated. After you submit your comment it could take up to a couple hours, but usually only a few minutes, before it will appear. Thank you for your patience. If you have any questions, you may contact Domenico Bettinelli.