Showing posts with label pasta recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta recipes. Show all posts

Friday, June 18, 2021

Red Pesto Linguine

Bright in color and flavor, this red pesto linguine is a spicy bowl of deliciousness made with anchovies and Fresno peppers. It’s even great as leftovers so make the whole recipe. 

Food Lust People Love: Bright in color and flavor, this red pesto linguine is a spicy bowl of deliciousness made with anchovies and Fresno peppers. It’s even great as leftovers so make the whole recipe.

I keep a lot of pantry staples on hand but one of my favorites is anchovies. That little can adds so much flavor and salt to almost any savory dish from a classic Caesar dressing to a simple caramelized shallot tart. If you have olives and peppers as well, which I almost always do, you can make gildas, which are a Spanish appetizer that goes great with a glass of something chilled. 

I’ve also been known to add anchovies to Dauphinoise potatoes, turning those creamy spuds into a Swedish dish called Jansson’s Frestelse and I have used them, along with bacon and olives, to top a traditional Liguria pissaladière. In short, if I can work some anchovies into a recipe, I'm going to try! 

Today, anchovies are the star ingredient of this red pesto. 

Red Pesto Linguine

This recipe is adapted from one on the Bon Appetit website where they used a scant six anchovies and, it would seem, none of the good and flavorful olive oil the anchovies were packed in. This is a missed opportunity which I have rectified. You can, of course, use whatever pasta shape you prefer but in my book, linguine is the best. 

Ingredients
1 can (2 oz or 56g) olive oil-packed anchovy fillets 
4 garlic cloves
About 1/2 cup or 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup or 60g walnut pieces
3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
2 fresh Fresno peppers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 oz or 85g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 lb or 450g linguine or your favorite pasta shape
Sea salt for the pasta water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method
Tip your can of anchovies into a measuring vessel and top up with good quality olive oil until you reach 2/3 cup. Use the side of your knife to smash the garlic and then chop it roughly. 


In a small pot, cook the anchovies, oil, garlic and walnuts over a medium heat, stirring often. 


Take it off the heat as the garlic is just beginning to turn golden. This takes several minutes but don’t walk off and leave it because you do not want the garlic to burn. 

Add tomato paste.


Cook, stirring often, until the anchovies have completely broken down, if they hadn’t already, and the mixture is a deep red. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. 


Cut the stems ends off of the peppers and then cut them in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds, then cut the peppers into smaller pieces. 


Transfer walnut mixture to a food processor. Add chili peppers and lemon juice. Process until completely smooth. 


Add in the grated Parmesan and process again until you have a thick paste. If it’s too thick for your processor, add a tablespoon or two of warm water and process again. 


Meanwhile, cook your linguine according to package instructions until al dente, lightly salting the water. Remove and reserve 1 1/2 cups or 355ml of the pasta water with a ladle. Drain the pasta in a colander. 

Scrape the pesto into the warm pot and add the butter. 


Pour the drained linguine back in along with a 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Use tongs or two wooden spoons to toss the linguine in the pesto until the butter is melted and the linguine is covered in sauce. Add more pasta water as needed. 

Food Lust People Love: Bright in color and flavor, this red pesto linguine is a spicy bowl of deliciousness made with anchovies and Fresno peppers. It’s even great as leftovers so make the whole recipe.

Serve the linguine topped with extra Parmesan. Because the more cheese, the better. 

Food Lust People Love: Bright in color and flavor, this red pesto linguine is a spicy bowl of deliciousness made with anchovies and Fresno peppers. It’s even great as leftovers so make the whole recipe.

Enjoy! 

It’s the third Friday of the month, the day my Fish Friday Foodie friends share seafood recipes. Many thanks our host, Sid of Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking who challenged us to use canned, frozen or pouched seafood to make appetizers or a meal for a theme she named Shortcut Seafood. Special thanks to Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for stepping up to help with behind the scenes work. Check out the links below. 



Are you a food blogger who would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas. 

Pin this Red Pesto Linguine! 

Food Lust People Love: Bright in color and flavor, this red pesto linguine is a spicy bowl of deliciousness made with anchovies and Fresno peppers. It’s even great as leftovers so make the whole recipe.
 .

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Scratch Spaghetti Os with Meatballs

With tiny Italian sausage meatballs and anelli pasta in a rich tomato sauce, these scratch Spaghetti Os are so much better than what you can buy in the can! 

Food Lust People Love: With tiny Italian sausage meatballs and anelli pasta in a rich tomato sauce, these scratch Spaghetti Os are so much better than what you can buy in the can!

When I was a kid, the Spaghetti Os with meatballs were a treat. (You can buy them without meatballs, but why would you?!) I don’t recall that my mom bought them very often because Hamburger Helper made a meal for the whole family and that can of pasta served pretty much one of us.

The Spaghetti Os slogan was "the neat round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon" and which child didn't want that? It was a favorite for sure. If you grew up outside the US, you might know these as Heinz spaghetti hoops which unfortunately never came with meatballs. 

Fast forward a bunch of years and the only time I really bought Spaghetti Os for my girls was when we had a long flight on our itinerary. When we were living in Paris, a friend took the six-hour flight back to D.C. with her infant and toddler and the elevator that was supposed to bring the food up from the hold for serving malfunctioned. 

Desperate parents of small hungry (crying!) children were beside themselves with no help in sight. Finally, the beleaguered flight attendants served the cold sandwiches that were put on board for the final meal before landing. The restless hoard was fed but this story taught us all a lesson. Do not board a plane with children without also laying in supplies!
 
After that, I not only packed snacky things, but also the small pots (with the pull-off lids) of Spaghetti Os and Mac and Cheese. Sure, they were supposed to be heated in a microwave prior to consumption but hungry girls will eat them at room temperature as well and with relish. 

Scratch Spaghetti Os

For the meatballs, I use fresh hot Italian sausage for the flavor it adds to the sauce. If you prefer, you can use your favorite meatball recipe. When I don’t use sausage meat, this is mine

Ingredients
Olive oil
4 cloves  garlic
5 medium ripe red tomatoes
3 oz or 85g tomato paste (half the small can or tin)
3 1/4 cups or just shy of 3/4 liter chicken stock (fresh or made with cubes – either would work)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Black pepper
1 lb or 450g pasta rings aka anelli or anelletti
1 1/4 lbs Italian sausage, pinched off into small pieces and rolled into tiny balls, like this!

Optional to serve: Grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of chopped parsley

Method
Preheat oven  to 400°F or 200°C. Put the meatballs in a baking pan single file and separated so they will cook evenly. Bake the meatballs for about 10 minutes then turn to broil for a further 5-7 minutes to brown the tops. You want them quite dark so that they will add flavor to the sauce as they simmer in it later. That is a teaspoon to give you an idea of how small you want the meatballs to be.


Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool tilted a bit to one side so any grease that baked off the meatballs can be easily removed. 


Pour the oil off and then add a little of the hot stock to the pan so you can scrape up the lovely browned bits stuck there and add them to your stock. Use the spatula to get every bit off. 


Peel and chop the garlic finely. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add in the chopped garlic and let it fry over a low fire for just a few minutes, until it softens slightly. You don’t want it to brown, which makes garlic bitter.

Meanwhile, halve your tomatoes and remove the core and seeds.  Chop the tomato into small pieces. 

Add the chopped tomatoes to the garlic and give the pot a quick stir. Cook over a medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to soften and the juice starts to come out of them a little. 


Add the stock, the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, a few good grinds of fresh black pepper and the tomato paste to the pot.


Cook for 20 minutes on a low to medium heat.  

Meanwhile, as the sauce simmers, cook your pasta rings according to package instructions, for about 2 minutes before it would be al dente. (My package said 15-17 minutes for al dente, so I drained them at 13 minutes.) Drain the pasta and reserve a half cup or 120ml of the pasta water. 

Take the pan of sauce off of the stove and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Carefully puree the soup in a blender or with a hand blender straight in the pot until completely smooth. Do not splash and burn yourself! Add the sauce back to the pot and then add in the meatballs. Simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes. 

Food Lust People Love: With tiny Italian sausage meatballs and anelli pasta in a rich tomato sauce, these scratch Spaghetti Os are so much better than what you can buy in the can!

When you are about ready to serve, stir in the cooked pasta rings and cook for about 2 minutes for pasta to reach al dente. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve immediately!
 
Since we are making scratch Spaghetti Os, feel free to serve them with freshly grated Parmesan. This is better than your childhood favorite and deserves a sprinkle of cheese and chopped parsley.

Food Lust People Love: With tiny Italian sausage meatballs and anelli pasta in a rich tomato sauce, these scratch Spaghetti Os are so much better than what you can buy in the can!

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and at my instigation, my fellow bloggers are sharing recipes for homemade dishes that they loved from their childhood. Check out the links!

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.


Pin these Scratch Spaghetti Os with Meatballs!

Food Lust People Love: With tiny Italian sausage meatballs and anelli pasta in a rich tomato sauce, these scratch Spaghetti Os are so much better than what you can buy in the can!
 .

Monday, May 17, 2021

Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù - Instant Pot

This Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù is not only delicious stirred through with a fresh herby ricotta, thanks to the Instant Pot, it is also quick enough for a weeknight meal. 

Food Lust People Love: This Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù is not only delicious stirred through with a fresh herby ricotta, thanks to the Instant Pot, it is also quick enough for a weeknight meal.

I honestly don’t know what took me so long to start using my Instant Pot. As I’ve mentioned before, it took a kitchen renovation to motivated me but, boy, howdy, do I love that thing now!

Anytime I see a slow cooker recipe that starts out by sautéing or browning something in a pan on the stove first, I think, HA. I can make that in the Instant Pot and skip the stove step. And I usually do. 

For anyone unfamiliar with the term ragù, it's just a fancy (Italian) way of saying meat sauce. Merriam-Webster defines ragù as "a hearty, seasoned Italian sauce of meat and tomatoes that is used chiefly in pasta dishes and that is typically made with ground beef, tomatoes, and finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots."

Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù with Herby Ricotta

This recipe is adapted from a slow cooker one in the New York Times cooking section. The original took six hours to cook and contains only chicken. I highly recommend the addition of the hot Italian sausage to this dish you will make and serve in less than 30 minutes in your Instant Pot.

Ingredients
For the ragù:
19 oz or 538g hot Italian sausage
1 small carrot
1 small yellow or purple onion 
4 cloves garlic
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10 oz or 290g each)
1 can (14.5 oz or 411g) crushed or diced tomatoes 
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 sprig fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 ½ teaspoons red-pepper flakes, plus more to taste
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the herbed ricotta topping: 
1 cup or 250g whole-milk ricotta
Heaping 1/4 cup chopped soft fresh herbs, such as chives, oregano, parsley or basil, or a mix
zest 1 medium lemon
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

To serve:
10 oz or 285g tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguine or other long, thick pasta, cooked al dente according to package instructions.

Method
Peel and chop the carrot, onion and garlic. 


Remove the casings from the Italian sausage and put it in the Instant Pot on sauté. Cook for several minutes using a wooden spoon to break the sausage into crumbles as it browns. 


Add in the carrot, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, for a few minutes more until the vegetables soften. 


Nestle the chicken breasts into the sausage and vegetables. 


Top with the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper and a sprinkle of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set it manually to 9 minutes. 

When the time is up, safely release the pressure. Remove and discard the herb sprigs.


Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board and use two forks to shred the chicken then return it to the Instant Pot and stir well. 


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. 

While the pasta cooks, chop your herbs and combine them in a small bowl with the ricotta, lemon zest, balsamic vinegar and salt. 


Taste the sauce, adding more red-pepper flakes, if you like, and salt if needed.

Food Lust People Love: This Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù is not only delicious stirred through with a fresh herby ricotta, thanks to the Instant Pot, it is also quick enough for a weeknight meal.

Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with ragu and a good spoon of the herby ricotta. 

Food Lust People Love: This Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù is not only delicious stirred through with a fresh herby ricotta, thanks to the Instant Pot, it is also quick enough for a weeknight meal.

Enjoy! 

It’s MultiCooker Monday! Check out the variety of small appliance recipes my friends are sharing today. Many thanks to our host and organizer, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 


                                                         

Multicooker Monday is a blogger group created by Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of us who need encouragement to make better use of our small appliances like slow cookers, Instant Pots, Air Fryers, rice cookers and sous vide machines. We get together every third Monday of the month to share our recipes. If you are a food blogger who would like to post with us, please request to join our Facebook group. 

Pin this Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù!

Food Lust People Love: This Italian Sausage and Chicken Ragù is not only delicious stirred through with a fresh herby ricotta, thanks to the Instant Pot, it is also quick enough for a weeknight meal.

 .

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta

This Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta is a flavorful one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Dish it up and sprinkle on the feta!

Food Lust People Love: This Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta is a flavorful one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Dish it up and sprinkle on the feta!

Today my Sunday FunDay friends are sharing recipes made with ingredients that add umami, the fifth taste our taste buds detect. It is usually associated with meat, seafood, tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese so this dish has umami to spare with chorizo, tomatoes and feta.

Make sure to scroll down to see the links to the other umami-rich recipes. 

Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta

My can of tomatoes were fire-roasted (hence the specks of black in the photo of the simmering pot) but any crushed tomatoes will do. This recipe is adapted from Delicious.co.uk.  I'm not a fan of the dill in the original and just happened to have some chorizo in the refrigerator. If you do not or if you want to make this vegetarian, substitute some lovely oil-cured olives, which add loads of umami as well. 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz Spanish-style chorizo
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus extra to serve
1 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
7 1/2 oz or 215g ditalini or other small pasta shape
14.5 oz or 411g can crushed tomatoes
15 oz or 425g canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups or 480ml chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Fine sea salt to taste

For topping:
3 1/2 oz or 100g feta, crumbled
crushed red pepper

Optional for garnish: parsley 

Method
Finely dice the onion and garlic and cut the chorizo into small cubes. 


Heat the oil in a deep pot and add the cubed chorizo and fry for a few minutes which will release the gorgeous red oil. Add in the onion and garlic. Sauté gently for 6-8 minutes until softened but not colored.


Turn up the heat slightly, and make a little space in the middle of the pan. Pour the mustard seeds in the space and sprinkle the crushed red pepper over the chorizo and vegetables. Fry for 1-2 minutes more until the mustards seeds begin to pop. 


Pour in the pasta and stir to coat.  


Add the tomatoes, stock and chickpeas. 


Give the whole thing a good stir. 


Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened and the pasta is tender. 

Add in the baking soda and stir well. 


It will bubble up as the soda neutralizes some of the acid in the tomato sauce. This is a secret I learned from an Italian-American nonna and I use it every time I make tomato sauce of any kind. It makes the sauce a little bit sweeter.

Season with salt to taste but keep in mind that feta can be quite salty and you will be stirring some through to serve. 

Serve in bowls sprinkled with feta and more crushed red pepper and parsley, if desired.  

Food Lust People Love: This Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta is a flavorful one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Dish it up and sprinkle on the feta!

Enjoy! 

Need more recipes with umami? Click on the links below! Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime.


We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta!

Food Lust People Love: This Chorizo Chickpea Tomato Pasta is a flavorful one-pot meal that the whole family will love. Dish it up and sprinkle on the feta!
 .

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Torta di Rigatoni

Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

I’ve adapted this recipe from one I read in delicious.uk magazine summer before last. I could have sworn I wrote down which issue I’ve found it in so I could share but I’ve found it online for you now so it’s all good. It’s one of Gennaro Contaldo’s from his cookbook, Gennaro’s Pasta Perfecto

In its original form, it’s vegetarian, made with a simple tomato sauce and cubes of mozzarella for the cheese, no meat involved. That would certainly have been easier but I'm always up for a challenge. 

Years ago, as Jamie Oliver was first starting out, Gennaro was one of his mentors when they worked together at Carluccio's, so I’ve come across his wonderful Italian recipes many times over my years of adoring Jamie. 

This may be one of my favorites with or without my adaptation of a meat sauce.

Torta di Rigatoni

For this dish I used a fresh milk farmer’s cheese because I love the flavor and richness, something like a dry, slightly saltier ricotta. Also it crumbles so nicely, the better to push it into the rigatoni. You could also use a milder grated cheese or cubed mozzarella, like in the original recipe, if you prefer. 

Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for the pan
1 lb or 450g ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1/2 yellow onion
1 can (14.5oz or 411g) diced tomatoes
1 can (6oz or 170g) tomato paste
3 sprigs fresh oregano, plus extra minced leaves for garnish
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon baking soda
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the torta:
about 10 oz or 340g rigatoni
14.5oz or 411g fresh farmer’s cheese, crumbled

To serve:
Grated Parmesan

Method
In a large Dutch oven over a medium high heat, brown the ground beef in the olive oil, crumbling it into the smallest bits possible with a wooden spoon, as you do. 

Meanwhile, mince the garlic and onion. 

When the beef is nicely browned, even crunchy in places, turn the heat down and add in the garlic and onions. Cook until they are soft and translucent. 


Add in the canned tomatoes with any juice and another whole can of water. 


Stir in the tomato paste. Tuck the oregano and bay leaf into the sauce. 


Bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Simmer the sauce, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the diced tomatoes have fallen apart completely. 

Discard the bay leaf and the oregano stems. Stir in the baking soda. This helps neutralize some of the acid in the tomatoes, making the sauce a bit sweeter. Season to your liking with the salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside to cool.


I transferred mine to a bowl so I can use the same Dutch oven to boil the rigatoni. A quick rinse is good enough before boiling water. Because who wants to wash another pot?

To see about how much rigatoni you need to boil, line your springform pan (mine is 9 inch or 23cm in diameter) with foil that goes up beyond the sides and brush the inside with olive oil. I also like to add a circle of baking parchment to the bottom to guarantee I can remove the torta from the pan nicely. 

Now set one side of the pan on a cutting board or folded towel and fill it a little more than halfway with raw rigatoni noodles standing up. 


Cook these noodles according to package instruction in salted water till almost al dente. They need to be firm enough to still stand on their own still.

Drain the rigatoni and rinse with cool water. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. 

Cover the bottom of your lined pan with a couple of spoons of the sauce.


Tip the pan at slight angle and start stacking the drained, cooled rigatoni so that the ends will face up when the pan is level. 


Continue until the pan is completely full. If you have a couple of cooked rigatoni leftover, just eat ‘em. 


Crumble the farmer’s cheese with a fork. 


Push some of the crumbled cheese into the rigatoni with your clean fingers.


Then spoon over some of the sauce. 


Repeat this filling and saucing until half of your cheese is used and about two-thirds of the sauce.

Pour the remainder of the sauce over the tops of the rigatoni. 

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

Lift the sides of the foil and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. 

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

Bake your torta di rigatoni in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. 

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Gently run a knife or spatula around the outside of the torta to loosen it from the foil. 

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

Open the spring form pan and transfer the whole foil package to a cutting board. Remove the foil and put the torta on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the minced oregano.

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

 Cut into wedges to serve with some freshly grated Parmesan.

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.

Enjoy!

This month my Foodie Extravaganza friends are sharing noodle dishes in celebration of National Noodle Month! Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out the other recipes below: 


Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board.


Pin this Torta di Rigatoni!

Food Lust People Love: Torta di Rigatoni is a showpiece pasta dish with simple, delicious ingredients including a rich meaty Bolognese sauce and flavorful farmer’s cheese.



 . 

Sunday, February 28, 2021

Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course. 

Food Lust People Love: These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course.

We love crispy skin on roasted chicken so I was looking for a way to add in flavor without covering that gorgeous skin. One day, as I was examining the contents of my refrigerator and cupboards, this idea came to me. Tomato sauce with pepperoni, but only knee-deep so that chicken thighs can still turn a lovely golden brown. 

The chicken juices meld with the pepperoni and tomato sauce that cooks down as the liquid evaporates in the oven, making the most wonderful sauce for pasta. 

Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken

I used Italian passata, which is uncooked tomato puree, but if you can’t find it in your local grocery store, by all means use regular tomato puree. Or, if you’d rather start with uncooked tomatoes, puree canned crushed tomatoes in a blender. I’ve given the weight of my chicken thighs below but if yours weighs a little more or a little less, no worries. 

Ingredients
4 chicken thighs (about 1 lb 14 oz or 850g)
2 cloves garlic
1-2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 cups or 500g Italian passata
3 1/2 oz or 100g spicy pepperoni, thinly sliced 
1 teaspoon sugar
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves

For garnish: fresh oregano leaves

To serve (optional): 
cooked pasta
crushed red pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line the bottom of your baking pan with the pepperoni. My package had 48 slices of pepperoni and I used every single one. 


Peel and chop the garlic. In a mixing bowl, combine the passata with the garlic, oregano leaves and sugar. 


Remove the excess fat from the chicken thighs and lightly salt and pepper them. You can also remove the bones if desired but that’s not absolutely necessary. I didn't remove the bones but I did open the thighs up so I could rub some salt and pepper inside.


Pour the prepared tomato sauce into the pepperoni-lined baking pan.


Nestle the seasoned chicken in the sauce, skin side up. Tuck in the bay leaves. 

Food Lust People Love: These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course.

Roast in your preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes or until chicken thighs are golden brown and cooked through. 

Food Lust People Love: These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course.

Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle on a little fresh oregano for garnish. Serve over cooked pasta, if desired. 

Food Lust People Love: These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and I’m hosting with the theme “Chicken Delights.” Check out all the wonderful recipes everyone is sharing below:


We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Saucy Pepperoni Roasted Chicken!

Food Lust People Love: These saucy pepperoni roasted chicken thighs are a quick but delicious meal for a busy night. Serve them with large green salad or over pasta for a complete main course.

 .