This meal can be made with one or two chicken breasts that can either be brought fresh from the butcher or frozen, but as ever with chicken, make sure the breasts are totally defrosted.
Cheese Topping
The topping of grilled cheese makes this an enticing dish, and the variety of cheese means that the consumer can choose from a wide selection.
Italian cheeses such as parmesan are ideal. Parmesan, with its hard texture, is ideal for sprinkling on meat dishes, and keeps for a long time when stored in a cupboard. Mozzarella is a cheese sourced from either a cow or a buffalo and is known for its milky flavour. It can also be bought smoked.
Both of these cheeses are relatively expensive however, and this dish works equally well with some simple cheddar, or if feeling really extravagant and have got daring taste buds, crumble in some blue cheese such as the Danish variety.
Ingredients for Chicken and Pasta Melt
The following ingredients are a useful guide for this basic, filling dish, and this can be tried with any combination of vegetables, poultry and sauces. Ideally the stir in sauce should contain unctious, viscous tomato flavour and Italian herbs such as basil and oregano.
- 1-2 Chicken Breasts, properly defrosted
- 1 Pepper, finely sliced and deseeded. Red pepper is the preferred colour, although any colour can be used
- 1 Medium sized Onion, finely chopped
- 1 pack of sliced mushrooms
- 65g per person Spiral Pasta (most types and shapes of bite-sized pasta are ideal.)
- Grated Cheese
- Stir-In Tomato Sauce (can be bought from many supermarkets)
- Mixed Herbs, especially with basil and oregano
- Vegetable Oil
Cooking Method
Serves two people.
- Cut up the chicken breasts into small pieces, and stir fry in a large pan or wok in a tablespoon of vegetable oil for around 5-10 or until tender. Cook the pasta in another suacepan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes until the pasta is al dente, or firm to the bite.
- Add the pepper, onion, mushrooms and the sauce to the chicken pan and continue to stir fry for about 10 minutes. When the chicken is browned and the vegetables are crunchy, add the cooked pasta to the stiry fry. Mix well and add the herbs.
- Then, put in a casserole dish, and grate lots of cheese on top. Grill for around 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and melted.
Serving Suggestion
If particularly hungry, serve with a light green salad, or some garlic or pitta bread. Add some black pepper to season. For an authentic Mediterranean experience, try the meal with some mixed olives, or if affordable, sun-dried tomatoes.
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