Chicken Mozzarella Pasta
A pasta dish full of chicken, marinara and gooey mozzarella cheese
Servings: 6
Calories: 548kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta rigatoni and ziti also works great
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1-1 ¼ pounds chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 25 ounce jar good quality marinara sauce
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup water if pasta is almost done use pasta water
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cut into medium sized cubes
- ¼ cup parmesan shavings
- Italian seasoning or basil garnish top
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the herbs, salt and pepper together with chicken pieces. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and allow to cook, without stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir the chicken around to brown it on all sides and cook through. About 2-4 minutes. Remove to a plate. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the fresh garlic (and a little more olive oil if needed) and stir immediately to start cooking. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the marinara sauce, red pepper flakes and ½ cup of pasta water. Stir until the garlic and sauce is combined, then add the chicken back to the skillet. Add the parsley and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes. Make sure the sauce is bubbly and very hot, then gently place in the cubes of mozzarella all over the sauce and pat into the sauce with a spoon. Let sit, undisturbed, until you can see that the mozzarella is very soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and pour it onto a platter. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Immediately sprinkle on the Parmesan shavings. Pour on the sauce gently and sprinkle Italian seasoning. Serve immediately
Nutrition
Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 891mg | Potassium: 907mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 848IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 3mg
