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I just realized as I was proofing this post the caption I wrote above: “One Super Bowl of Pasta.” As I mentioned in my Skinny Mini Baked Potato post, I will not be indulging in the Super Bowl sporting event (I think it’s this weekend.) When I created the graphic above it had nothing to do with the Super Bowl, but hey if you want to make a big batch of pasta for your SB party go for it! (It will help absorb all the booze!) Homemade sauce can be so simple, and so very fabulous.
In my last post I shared the salad that kicked off our aprés ski dinner. My Spinach Salad with Roasted Pine Nuts was a yummy side to this warming, flavor filled pasta sauce. This dinner was quick and easy to prepare. Making your own tomato sauce is simple and it tastes so much better that anything in a jar.
Add what you like when it comes to seasonings, veggies and lean protein. Spoon your sauce over whole grain pasta, rice, quinoa, steamed or roasted veggies or dish it up right next to your salad like me! Anything goes…..the few extra minutes it takes to prepare your own sauce is so well worth the effort. Make a Big Batch and you have sauce for the week and some to put in the freezer for a meal in a pinch.
Fresh Benefits
Not only is this sauce super tasty. It is loaded with high energy good for you ingredients. From tomatoes that are high in the antioxidant lycophene to the lean protein in the Chicken breast. This is a supercharged well balanced sauce that can be used to top your whole wheat pasta. Oh right, there are numerous good for you stuff in whole grains too, from fiber to essential vitamins and minerals. It’s all in this well rounded bowl of warming goodness!
To learn more about the health benefits of these saucy ingredients click the following links:
Tomatoes
Lean Protein
Whole Grains
- Livestrong: Five Things You Need to Know About Whole Grains
- MayoClinic: Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet
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Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce and Chicken
About 6 Servings
- Source Organic ingredients when available
- Shop for ingredients at the MarlaMeridith.com Amazon Store
- As always, use your own taste buds to determine how you want to season your sauce. More garlic, less smoked smoked paprika? The choice is yours! My ingredient lists are wide open for interpretation. I would love to hear your take!
INGREDIENTS
- 28 ounce can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (I used the Organic Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes)
- 1 large Onion, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds Chicken Breast, cut into bite sized pieces (buy more if you are gonna do a Big Batch)
- Olive Oil
- 1 cup Fresh Basil, coarsely chopped
- Parmesan, Romano or any hard grated cheese
- Whole Wheat Pasta
- Season to Taste:
- Garlic Salt (If you have garlic cloves, chop a few up and toss them in)
- Sweet Smoked Paprika
- Hot Pepper Flakes
- Cracked Black Pepper
METHOD
- In a large sauté pan heat a splash of olive oil on medium high, add chopped onion , a dash of smoked paprika, hot pepper garlic salt and pepper. Heat a few minutes until onions are fragrant and translucent.
- Add chicken to pan and sauté until cooked through and slightly browned.
- Add fire roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add more seasonings to taste.
- Add basil at the end of cooking time.
- Cook up some pasta and serve up your sauce! Top with freshly grated cheese.
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What a great pic, I love pasta with fire roasted tomatoes and whole wheat. Looks delish!
Yummmm! This looks wonderful! I love chicken in pasta…glad I’m not the only one 🙂
Your photos are so sharp and clear, they almost hurt my eyes. 🙂 The pasta & roasted tomato sauce look so delicious! I love healthy alternatives when it comes to super bowl parties. I read a report this morning before work that the average person will consume more than 4000 calories at a Super Bowl party. That’s insane. People need to think of more healthy alternatives like this.
Great job, Marla!
4000 calories. That is nasty. My body would go into shock if I ate that much. Hopefully folks will at least try to be more mindful as to what they put in their mouths today.
I love adding spinach to my pasta sauce… You get the added health benefits and it doesn’t really taste. I love all the basil in your sauce!
Believe it or not I don’t think I’ve ever had pasta with chicken like this! (The closest I’ve ever come is using ground chicken instead of ground beef in the sauce.) This looks amazing, Marla! Super healthy, fresh, and delicious!
Homemade pasta sauce really does taste so much better. Your recipe sounds so simple but delicious at the same time!
Mmm, pasta. Think I’ll do that instead of mac and cheese tonight–craving something comforting, but not aggressively though. Marla, thanks for saving me from myself ;).
@Phil–any stats on calories consumed during Jane Austen marathons or the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet? 😉 Seriously, you might be right or even on the conservative side. My DH went to Weight Watchers and knocked off and kept of 90 lbs. The meeting before Superbowl Sunday that year, the leader had people troubleshoot what they would be serving at their parties. One lady shared that her family gets together at 9 AM for breakfast. Then they had lunch. Then they put out the pregame munchies, and the first half munchies, and had dinner during halftime, then dessert after the game. I wish that I were making that up.
Great post Marla!
I loved seeing the pics of your two boys, total highlight connecting faces with names type of thing 🙂
xoxox
yum, this looks so good. i like that it uses canned tomatoes – perfect for winter when fresh tomatoes just aren’t that great.
Pasta and tomato sauce is my go-to for everything! You just cannot go wrong.
I LOVE this recipe! Stumbled across this recipe while looking for a new kick on spaghetti, this was perfect because I prefer chicken to ground beef anyway! Well my boyfriend loved this recipe so much he now has me make it at least once a week, which is fine by me since it is so easy to prepare! I have been adding in bell peppers and sometimes even broccoli just to give it some variety and it is always delicious! There are so many varieties of Glen Muir tomatoes too that it is fun to switch those up as well. Thank you SO much for posting this recipe, my spaghetti cravings are forever changed because of you
Wow amazing!!! I threw this together for lunch today and my 2 year old LOVED it, definitely better than the canned sauce and it was great to have chicken in it, we have never had it like that before…It was a hit for my family I think its made its way into our lunch and dinner rotation!!!
That looks delicious!
It’s bookmarked and will soon be on the table.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this! I made it tonight and removed the spicy aspects and everyone loved it!!
Awesome!! So glad you and your family had such a successful dinner 🙂
This recipe is awesome! Thank you!!