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Pasta with Chicken Cacciatore Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 7, 2011

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Pasta with Chicken Cacciatore Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch-thick stripsSalt and pepper 1 small onion, minced10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered4 cloves garlic, minced½ cup dry red wine 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1 pound penne pasta ¼ cup chopped parsley 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Before You Begin

To save time, chop the parsley and grate the cheese while the sauce is simmering.

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes, and thyme; increase heat to high and simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Return chicken to sauce.
  3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce and simmer over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Off heat, stir in parsley and Parmesan. Adjust seasonings and serve.
Pasta with Chicken Cacciatore Sauce

Pasta with Chicken Cacciatore Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, minced
10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 pound penne pasta
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, minced
10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 pound penne pasta
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼-inch-thick strips
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, minced
10 ounces white mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 pound penne pasta
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Why This Recipe Works

Traditional chicken cacciatore recipes take well over an hour to prepare. We wanted a pasta recipe that featured the same flavors but could be prepared much faster. To do this, we sliced chicken breasts into quick-cooking strips, and combined all of the components in the pot where we’d cooked the pasta. This ensured that all of our recipe’s components were equally hot and that their flavors melded.

Before You Begin

To save time, chop the parsley and grate the cheese while the sauce is simmering.

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot over high heat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate.
  2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes, and thyme; increase heat to high and simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Return chicken to sauce.
  3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce and simmer over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Off heat, stir in parsley and Parmesan. Adjust seasonings and serve.

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