← From the Kitchen

No. 3

Penne with Chick'n & Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Fake chicken, real opinions.

Radiatori pasta in a chunky tomato and mushroom sauce

Thoughts & changes

  • Fake chicken was surprisingly good.
  • These radiatori noodles were fun.
  • Made the sauce using San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, basil, and yellow onion.
  • Used thyme powder. Never really used it before, but it's so good.

“Stuck with the basic bitch of mushrooms (portobello) for this first try.”

For next time

  • Experiment with other mushrooms; stuck with the basic bitch of mushrooms (portobello) for this first try.
  • Could use heat, maybe an arrabbiata sauce next time.
  • I wonder if browning the fake chicken first would be better.

Vibes · cook to this

TURiSTA

Bad Bunny

Drop the needle ← tap the record

The recipe

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 2 cups of penne pasta (make it whole wheat or legume pasta to increase fiber)
  • 1/2 lb chicken breast (I used plant-based Abbot’s Chopped Chick’n, 10 oz)
  • 4 or 5 cloves of garlic
  • 5 fresh green onions (you can substitute other kinds of onion)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3 oz mushrooms (I used blue oyster; shiitake or portobello also work)
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 5 fresh tomatoes, for the sauce (you can buy canned, but read the ingredient list for added salt and oils)
  • Seasoning: salt, white pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, and garlic powder
  • For extra protein, 1/2 cup of 1% cottage cheese (any cheese works, but low-fat avoids too much saturated fat)

Directions

  1. Chop (small dice) the green onions, garlic, and pepper and put them in an oiled medium pan over medium heat.
  2. Add salt and pepper and sauté until slightly golden, then add the mushrooms and the other spices and cook for 2–3 minutes.
  3. Chop the chicken into pieces and add it to the veggies. Add a little more salt here.
  4. When it’s cooked and nicely browned, add the tomato sauce. (Grate the tomatoes to make the sauce, or use a blender, or just buy it canned.) Simmer for 5–6 minutes at medium-low.
  5. Meanwhile, measure the pasta and bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (check the label; penne takes about 11 minutes), then drain.
  6. Mix the pasta into the pan with the sauce. Top with the cottage cheese to serve.