Penne and Chicken Tenderloins With Spiced Tomato Sauce

Vino Girl's Note:

From Cooking Light, April 2006.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 lb chicken breast tenders, cut into (1-inch)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup white wine
• 8 ounces uncooked penne
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over chicken.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, turning once.
4. Remove from heat; set aside.
5. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until garlic is soft.
7. Add tomatoes and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil.
8. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
9. Add chicken, and simmer 5 minutes.
10. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
11. Toss pasta with sauce in a large bowl.
12. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Reviews

[Diane S]

The reason why I am giving this 3 stars is because I do not like the sauce. The chicken was great, the tomato sauce was rather bland to me. I did make the chicken the second time and used another sauce, then it tasted great.

[Carrie in Greenville]

Excellent! I was looking for something that tasted different than the spaghetti/lasagna type Italian taste and I found it! I didn't have any fennel and I only had about 1/4 cup of white wine but I didn't miss either one. I sauteed about 1/2 an onion with the garlic like one of the reviews mentioned and I increased the salt a bit. I also used Muir Glen fire-roasted diced tomatoes which gave it a bit of extra zest. I'll definitely keep this in mind for when I have company over!

[Sherri Dodsworth]

What a flavorful, quick weeknight dinner that tastes like gourmet fare. This recipe alone would justify always keeping a stash of chicken tenderloins in your freezer. When I make it again (and I will), I'll drain both cans of tomatoes. I added about half a can of tomato paste to get it to the consistency we like, and I added some mushrooms just because we had them and sauteed some diced onions with the garlic. Thanks for a terrific and tasty recipe.