Ground Chicken & Basil Pasta with Plum Tomatoes

If I could have it my way, I would eat pasta for every meal and not think twice about it. When I saw this recipe, I knew that it would become one of my favorite pasta dishes. You can't go wrong with a hearty {homemade} sauce and ground chicken which always seems to be light yet filling. Let me tell ya, it was amazing!

Ingredients:

8 ounces of Ground Chicken

8 ounces of Basil Fettuccine

3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Red Onion

2 Plum Tomatoes

1 Bunch of Basil

2 tablespoons of Mascarpone Cheese

2 tablespoons of Tomato Paste

4 teaspoons of Olive Oil

1/3 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese 

Instructions:

ONE. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Peel and dice the onion. Dice the tomatoes. Pick the basil leaves off the steams and discard the stems.

TWO. In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the ground chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and cooked thoroughly. Make sure to break the meat apart as it begins to cook. Once it is cooked, transfer to a bowl but leave any browned bits and the left over oil in the pan.

THREE. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the same pan and heat on medium heat until hot. Add the garlic and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until dark red.

FOUR. Add the tomatoes, cooked chicken and 1 cup of water to the pan of garlic and onion. Increase the heat to high. Simmer and stir occasionally for 12 to 14 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened. 

FIVE. Heat a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Once the tomatoes and chicken have simmered for about 10 minutes, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and gently stir to separate the noodles. Cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are almost al dente. While draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.

SIX. In the pan of tomatoes and chicken, add the cooked pasta, Mascarpone cheese, Parmesan cheese and half of the reserved pasta cooking water. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until everything is thoroughly combined. {If the sauce seems dry, you can gradually add the remaining pasta cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.} Tear the basil leaves in half and stir in all but a few pieces of the basil. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Divide the finished pasta into 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining basil and Parmesan cheese.

I can't wait to upload and share all the beautiful pictures from our long weekend at The Greenbrier. The weekend was incredible - the picturesque views that surrounded us, the exceptional service that we received all weekend, and the quality family time that we had with TC's family made for a perfect long weekend. A little sneak peak of a few photos that I snapped with my phone.