Sometimes I go to a restaurant (like Romano's Macaroni Grille[1]) and leave with the determination to recreate one of their dishes, just with my own flair. I love sundried tomatoes, so making pasta with chicken, sundried tomatoes, and fresh vegetables was a natural choice.


Pasta Con Pollo Alla Griglia

1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts[2]
3 Tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes [3]
fresh mushrooms[4]
1 bunch fresh broccoli
1 medium summer squash
1 medium red onion
1 cup white wine
2 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil[5]
two strips turkey bacon[6]
Mrs. Dash
black pepper
pasta[7]
grated parmesan cheese
Cook turkey bacon to be just barely crispy.[8]

Pound chicken until 1/4" thickness, cut into bite sized pieces. Sauté chicken in same frying pan as bacon, over medium-high heat, with either olive oil or 1 Tablespoon of the oil from the tomatoes. Season with black pepper and Mrs. Dash.

Prepare pasta according to directions. Set aside.

Remove chicken. Crumble bacon onto chicken. Tent some aluminum foil over the chicken to keep it warm.

Add a bit of butter to the pan. Sauté mushrooms and red onions until tender. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more butter to the pan, and the white wine. Add broccoli, then squash, without stirring. (The veggies should be layered over the mushroom/onion/tomato mix). Add remaining butter to the top of the squash, then cover the pan. Allow to steam (check liquid levels occasionally, adding water or wine) until squash is tender-crisp. Stir in the chicken and bacon, then toss with the pasta. Grated parmesan cheese is a good topper.


[1] A restaurant which I never manage to remember which letter it's filed under in the yellow pages. Do I look under 'M' for Macaroni? No, it's under 'R' for Romanos. Yeah, like I'd think of that right off.
[2] Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are perfect for people like me that don't enjoy the feel of chicken skin or the pain of de-boning. In a dish like this where the other flavors completely overwhelm the taste of the chicken, I feel like I can get away with it. In others, like the Roasted Chicken over Pasta, Nigella-style, the quality of the chicken is directly proportional to how good it tastes.
[3] I prefer the bags of truly dried tomatoes, because they aren't soaking in oil and are healthier (not to mention the fact that the bags keep in the pantry rather than my overcrowded refrigerator). Just remember to re-hydrate them ahead of time if that's the way you go.
[4] There was a time in my life where every single grocery list started out with a number followed by 'mushroom'. I love mushrooms.
[5] The olive oil (not extra virgin) is here solely in case the tomatoes aren't oil-packed. If they are oil-packed, use the oil from the tomatoes to saute the chicken.
[6] I've found turkey bacon to be a pretty acceptable substitute to regular bacon, but this can be omitted.
[7] Farfalle, or bowtie pasta, is about the right size for the chunks of vegetables in this dish.
[8] I usually put the raw bacon in a cold pan and turn the heat to medium.


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