Chicken with Basil Tomato Butter Sauce

 

It's now tomato time in our garden.  We have some monster-sized tomatoes that are ripe so I needed a recipe to use up a bunch at once.  This was a really good one, basically just making a fast and easy buttery tomato sauce.  I would definitely make it again.

Chicken with Basil Tomato Butter Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, no more than 1" thick

salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

5-6 roma tomatoes, diced (I used 3 large beefsteak tomatoes)

3 cloves garlic, minced

fresh oregano leaves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

fresh thyme leaves (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup butter

handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

pasta or zucchini noodles

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet.  Cook for several minutes on each side until browned and completely cooked.  Remove chicken to a plate temporarily.

Carefully add the diced tomatoes to the leftover oil in the skillet.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, and thyme.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked down to a chunky sauce.  Add the butter and stir until melted.   Add the chicken back into the skillet to soak in the sauce for a couple minutes to reheat.  Stir in the basil just before serving.   Serve over pasta.

Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups

 

I felt like trying a new zucchini recipe.  This was delicious and I didn't miss the pasta at all.  The only time-consuming part was rolling up the zucchini.  They didn't roll as tight as I wanted because of the sausage.  Also, it would have helped to use a square pan with straight sides instead of my casserole dish with rounded ones. Next time I might make it in the style of traditional lasagna and just layer the zucchini ribbons flat to make it easier.  It might also be fun to try it with pepperoni and make pizza roll-ups.

Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups

Makes 4-6 servings 

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into about 24 ribbons, 1/8"-thick (a mandolin is helpful)

salt and pepper

~1/2 lb ground Italian sausage

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

1&1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions:

Lay zucchini ribbons flat on paper towels.  Sprinkle each side with salt and let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook Italian sausage in skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes, crumbling it as it cooks.  Transfer sausage to a medium bowl.  In the empty skillet, sauté the green pepper for a minute or two. Transfer to the bowl.

In the bowl with the sausage and peppers, add the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Spread 1 cup marinara sauce into a square or circular baking pan or oven-proof skillet.

Spread 1-2 tablespoons ricotta mixture evenly over each zucchini slice.  Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese.  Roll up and place in the baking pan.  Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 400º for 25-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is beginning to brown. Enjoy!