Fall is here, in many parts of the country. That means jackets, wonderful tree colors and of course, heartier food. With that in mind, I wanted to share a great weeknight dish that screams comfort food, yet is still fairly healthy. Full disclosure–I also wanted to find a dish that would pair well with Row Eleven’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir! Produced by the Whisper Wine Company, https://www.whisperwineco.com, this pinot noir is light enough to pair with chicken and has wonderful berry notes with a touch of spice that compliment the umami flavor of the mushrooms and caramelized onions in this dish. #whisperwine
I love that this recipe takes less than an hour to make and serves just 2 people. It easily doubles for leftovers (without the pasta mixed in, of course) or for a family dinner. If you’re on a lower carb or keto diet, just replace the pasta with spaghetti squash! Enjoy and if you’re an adventurous wine lover, give Row Eleven’s Russian River Valley Pinot Noir a shot! #roweleven
As you can see from the photo, the ingredients are basic, but the combo packs a nice punch!
Pasta Rustica With Chicken and Wild Mushrooms
This simple, yet flavorful dish is perfect for a mid-week hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1/4 C plus 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces of pasta or spaghetti squash
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 Cups oyster mushrooms, individual or cut large ones
- 1 1/2 Cups shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- a few shakes of chile flakes or squirts of hot sauce
- 1 Cup diced fresh tomatoes
- Freshly grated parmigiano for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Step 2 In a small pan, heat 2 tbsps olive oil over medium high heat.
- Step 3 Add the chicken and cook for 1 minute. Turn the chicken over, reduce heat, cover and cook for another 8 minutes.
- Step 4 Remove from heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes. Then, shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- Step 5 Meanwhile, heat a large pot of salt water to boiling and cook your pasta according to directions.
- Step 6 In a large frying pan, heat the 1/4 cup of oil over high heat.
- Step 7 Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until just browning.
- Step 8 Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Step 9 Add all the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft and browned.
- Step 10 Stir in the hot sauce and tomatoes.
- Step 11 Stir, cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Step 12 Add the pasta and shredded chicken and toss well. Season to taste.
- Step 13 Serve on dinner plates, topped with parmigiano.
