ROSEMARY CHICKEN PASTA WITH A GRAPE TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

I have always found summer to be one of the busiest times of the year, but also one of the best opportunities to cook and get together with friends. I recently did this with some girlfriends I hadn't seen in awhile, and we spent the evening laughing and catching up around the table. I served this and it was such a hit. I have always been a fan of recipes that get everyone involved and this one was perfect for that. We all chopped veggies, sipped wine, grated cheese, all while smelling the delicious sauce simmering away on the stove. I definitely recommend doing the same this weekend and really taking advantage of all the summer can bring. The weather is nice, the days are long and the ingredients are fresh. Sundays in particular are great because they are meant to be relaxing and a recharge before the week ahead. 

They're also the day of the week I almost always want to indulge in something hearty. This usually means I’ll cook my guests a pasta, roast chicken, or something cozy and filling. This recipe gives you the best of all of that, while also being packed with delicious herbs and veggies. What really brings the whole dish together is the light tomato cream sauce. I partnered with Pure Flavor® using their Sangria® Medley Tomatoes to really give this cream sauce its sweet flavor, while also adding so much color to the dish. I think a challenge with cooking creamy pasta in the summer is finding a light enough sauce that can compliment seasonal veggies, and still give you that comforting and flavorful richness you crave from a cream sauce. This recipe uses stock as well as cream to allow for that lightness, and then the tomatoes are added from the beginning to slowly simmer and sweeten the sauce. I then top with additional sliced tomatoes for more color and sweetness. 

So this weekend, I really encourage you to take a beat, enjoy these wonderful warm summer evenings, and cook something seasonal and delicious. You’ll be so happy you did. 

Ingredients:
1 pint of Pure Flavor® Sangria® Medley Tomatoes sliced
4 oz chopped pancetta
1.5 boneless skinless chicken thighs 
2 cups heavy cream
3 minced garlic cloves
½ cup white wine
4 stems of chopped rosemary
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup grated parm
1 batch of asparagus chopped in to 2 inch pieces
1 box of pasta
Fresh basil for topping
Red pepper flakes/salt/pepper
Olive oil for cooking

Step 1:
Wash chicken thighs and coat in olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bake for about 14 min on 375. Remove from oven and set aside. When cool enough, cut into 2 inch pieces. The chicken will still be pink inside, but don’t worry it is going back in a pan to finish cooking.

Step 2:
Cook pancetta in a skillet until crispy. Remove from pan and let sit on a paper towel to dry. 

Step 3: 
Add a little olive oil to the pan and add in garlic and rosemary. After about 3 min add the pancetta back in and the white wine. Cook until most of it has burned off. Add in ¾ of the cheese, asparagus, and heavy cream. Add in a little chicken stock and add slowly as you cook to make sure your sauce doesn't get too liquidy (a little goes a long way). Cook on medium heat for about 25-30 min. Sauce should thicken and the tomatoes have turned the sauce into a light pink cream sauce. 

Step 4:
Cook pasta and save ½ cup of pasta water. If sauce needs to thicken, add in pasta water and continue to let cook. 

Step 5: 
Once sauce is thickened, add in chicken. Make sure to wait until the sauce is as thick as you want before adding in the chicken as you don’t want to overcook the chicken. Cook with chicken for about 5 min. 

Step 6:
Combine sauce with pasta and top with fresh basil, more cheese, salt/pepper and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!