Braised Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

If you're reading this post then there is about a 4% chance that you've read all my posts and know that Italian food is not my favorite.  Every few months or so, however, I get a craving for pasta and set out to make some ridiculous kitchen-sink, whatever I feel like putting in it pasta dish.  This night was no exception and it was great.  My new favorite move is slowly cooking chicken in liquid because it gets so tender and then using the liquid for the sauce.  See below for recipe and step by step pics.

Saute Onions

Add spices to onions

Add chicken

Add wine and tomato sauce

Voila

Ingredients:
1 bag of pasta
2 pata de pollo with bone
1 can of tomatoes perita
1 large onion chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup of red wine
1/4 cup of quasi creme
Spices ( salt, pepper, garlic powder, sage, provencal, chili powder, sugar) - just about a 1/2 tsp of each to taste
Shredded cheese of choice

Directions: Saute onions and spices for 5-10 min.  Turn the heat up.  Remove skin from chicken and add to the hot pan, cook for 2 minutes.  Add wine and let it reduce.  Lower heat and add tomato sauce.  Let simmer and reduce for about 20 min.  Add quasi creme and let cook for 5-10 min more.  You can cook the chicken for as long as you like on low heat, but I didn't have time in this case.

Add broccoli and cook for about 5 min.  Remove chicken and broccoli and set aside.  Bring salted water to a boil and add pasta.  Let sauce thicken while pasta is cooking.  Shred chicken into bite-size pieces.  Once the pasta is ready drain the water and add it back to the pan.  Add the chicken and broccoli to the sauce and pour over pasta.  Top with shredded cheese and serve!

Amici Miei - Great Italian with a view

Amici Miei is a great find for Italian in the city.  I'm not a huge fan of Italian overall because I think it's a bit redundant and a little too tomato based for me, but I gave this place a shot and was pleasantly surprised.  It wasn't only for the never ending bread basket with 5 different types of freshly baked rolls and breadsticks, but the intriguing menu that broke my Italian mold.  We started off with Parmesan Flan and caramelized apple chutney and then moved onto squid stuffed with black couscous and an overly indulgent stuffed pasta.  The flan was to die for and the pasta was great.  The squid was a bit chewy, but different enough to keep me interested.  While I prefer my pizzas with caramelized onion, squash, and goat cheese, I'll definitely keep this one in the arsenal for the future.  Definitely worth a try!