Chicken Pizzaioli

Annisette's Note:

I love this over pasta. While this recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken, you can substitute another type of meat or meat substitute. Pizzaioli sauce, named for the Neapolitan pizza makers, is a tomato-based sauce similar to that found on pizza. The sauce is seasoned with herbs, especially oregano, and was originally used to disguise poor quality meat.

• Total Time: 32 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 22 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

SAUCE

• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole tomatoes (you can used diced tomatoes if you'd like)
• 8 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 20 pitted black olives, quartered
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

CHICKEN

• 1 cup sherry wine
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 6 (5 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I like to dice mine, but you can keep them whole if you want)
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a bowl and use a fork to poke holes all over it. Pour sherry over the chicken and let it marinate about 30 minutes. You can chop things and prepare the sauce while you're waiting for the chicken to marinate.
2. FOR SAUCE: In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the tomatoes, with their juice, and the garlic for 10 minutes. Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes.
3. Add olives and oregano. Cook 5 more minutes.
4. Add sugar and pepper and test for seasoning, adding in more if necessary.
5. Cover and keep warm while the chicken is cooking.
6. FOR CHICKEN: Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Raise heat and brown chicken on both sides (about 1 minute).
7. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then lower heat and cook 5 minutes.
8. Remove from pan and spoon sauce over chicken.
9. NOTE: If you want, you can serve this over spaghetti or other pasta.

Reviews

[bluemoon downunder]

A sensational dish! Superbly flavoursome! And a huge hit at a family luncheon! I had doubled the recipe and, judging by the comments and by how nearly everyone went back for seconds – entirely neglecting another dish, which I hadn’t made – everyone loved it. I have made this for Pick a Chef 2006! And it’s a recipe I’ll make again, particularly when I need a larger quantity of food as it’s so easy to double. I’ll also be making it in double quantities to put meals in the freezer for my parents. I served it with buttered noodles, but it would team equally well with pasta or rice. Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe, Annisette!